“I celebrate Ojukwu’s legacies of transparent leadership, courageous service and dedication to the collective progress of all the people he served,” Nweke Jr. wrote.
By Emma Ogbuehi
As Nigerians mark the 89th posthumous birthday of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, former Minister of Information and the Enugu State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 elections, Chief Frank Nweke Jr., has described him as a man of great intellect, independence of mind, humility, and immense courage.
He was born in Zungeru, a town in the present-day Niger State on November 4, 1933.
Ojukwu, a Nigerian military officer, statesman and politician who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966 and president of the secessionist Republic of Biafra which declared independence from Nigeria during the Civil War from 1967 to 1970, died in a London hospital on November 26, 2011 at the age of 78.
He was the leader of APGA on which platform he contested the presidency in 2003 and 2007.
In a tribute on Friday which he sent to TheNiche, Nweke Jr. said though Ojukwu had many admirable qualities, he chose to remember and celebrate his selflessness and commitment to his people on what would have been his 89th birthday had he lived longer.
The statement titled, “Frank Nweke Jr. remembers Ojukwu for his courageous leadership and service,” reads:
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“Today, as family, friends and indeed the entire ndi Igbo mark the 89th posthumous birthday of the great Ikemba, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, I took some time to reflect on his life and what makes him our beloved hero.
“Ojukwu was a man of great intellect, independence of mind, humility, and immense courage. He had many admirable qualities but today, I choose to remember and celebrate his selflessness and commitment to his people.
“His driving force was the welfare, wellbeing and progress of his people. He was a staunch advocate of Shared Prosperity and an egalitarian society that would cater to the needs of every member without bias. He stood for justice and fought for it from his days as a young man in the military and as an elder statesman.
“This is what earned him the loyalty, trust and love of his people. As we remember this great man today, I celebrate his legacies of transparent leadership, courageous service and dedication to the collective progress of all the people he served.
“May the labour of our heroes’ past yield good fruit through us today.”
