*Chekwas, Enwegbara, others mourn, describe his death as a huge loss to Nigeria, international community
The Governor of Imo state, Sen Hope Uzodimma, has announced the passage of the President General of ohanaeze Ndigbo, worldwide, Prof George Obiozor.
In a statement the Governor issued, he described Obiozor as “a great Son of Imo state and Nigeria, a renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat and statesman and a tenacious patriot”.
He said Prof Obiozor passed on recently after a brief illness.
The governor added: “The death of this foremost Igbo leader and former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States and the State of Israel, is a big loss to Imo State, the South-East and the entire Nigeria.
“I have no doubt that both Nigeria and the international community will miss his profound intellectual contributions and wise counsel on national and global issues.
“His burial arrangements will be announced in due course by the family. May his great and gentle soul rest in peace”.
*I’m saddened, Chief Okorie
On his part, the founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief (Ojeozi) Chekwas Okorie, in a statement, said he was “greatly saddened by the death of Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, the highly respected President General of Ohanaeze Worldwide.
“His death has left a huge void in the leadership of Ohanaeze.
“He brought incomparable intellectual depth, maturity, forthrightness, courage and diplomatic savvy to bear in his leadership of Ohanaeze.
“Ndigbo are by their very nature highly critical and republican. Our expectations from our leaders are usually high.
“Professor Obiozor excelled and delivered on his mandate excellently.
“When it was the turn of Imo State to occupy the exalted office of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the State presented an array of highly qualified persons that made the contest keen and very competitive.
“When all factors were considered Professor George Obiozor emerged the undisputed choice of overwhelming majority of the large and unprecedented delegates of Ohanaeze leaders from the 36 States of Nigeria, the Federal Capital Territory and the Diaspora Igbo leadership.
“Professor Obiozor spoke truth to power and was a strong advocate of a united Nigeria where justice, equity and fairness will reign supreme.
“The cold hand of death cut short the tenure Professor George Obiozor as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
“He will be greatly missed by Nigerias, the Diplomatic Community and Ndigbo in particular. May his noble soul rest in peace”.
He’s an exceptional scholar – Basil Odilim
On his part, a renowned economist, Basil Odilim Enwegbara, said that Prof. Obiozor was an exceptional scholar whose vacuum would become immediately visible.
According to Mr. Odilim, “Prof. Obiozor gave an exceptional entertainment during one of my visits to Washington and decided to stop by hearing that the renowned academic who I first met as the DG of NIIA in Nigeria during by brief sojourn in Nigeria was the Ambassador.
“An unannounced visit that ended up an unexpected exceptional reception remained vivid in my relationship with him to the point that once he announced his interest in becoming Ohanaze president I tried in my little way to support his campaign.
“Winning and reading his inaugural speech that supported Buhari’s activities in South-East, made me to oppose him using this medium along with sending him my opposition that his position was undiplomatic and lacked tact.
“I went further to tell him that as the father of Igbo people, he shouldn’t have rushed to criticize his children in public without first meeting with them in private.
“I made it clear to him that rather than criticizing Nnamdi Kanu, he should have first traveled to London to meet with him and have a long father and son conversation with him.
“Since then he and I never talked until when his country home caught fire March this year and I called him to sympathize with him.
“It was while thanking me for calling him he told me that he would like to purchase my Mefon Sardine Fish Oil for the treatment of some old age ailments, which he never disclosed to me.
“Excitedly, I asked him to ask his people to contact me and bottles of Mefon Sardine Fish Oil will be shipped to him in Enugu.
“But he said that he wouldn’t want anyone to handle it on his behalf. He never got back to me about that and I never bothered him since I didn’t hear from him again.
“Obiozor will be remembered as a great African diplomat, scholar, and academic who was once the president of Ohanaze”.
