Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti has acknowledge the the impact on his political journey by the former National Chairman of the PDP, late Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, saying that the later introduced and mentored him in politics.
Late Prince Vincent Ogbulafor
Governor Otti who stated this at
burial service of the late Prince Ogbulafor held at the Holy Cross Catholic Church, Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, emphasized that it is impossible to discuss his political journey without acknowledging the pivotal role played by his elder brother and dear friend, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.
He expressed gratitude to God for the life of Ogbulafor, stating that though they would have loved to have him for many more years, it is not about the duration of life but the quality of impact.
“Prince Ogbulafor came up my house during Christmas in 2009 and he said Alex, you’ve done this banking enough, it is time to come and do politics. I told him that it wasn’t going to happen.
“Easter 2010, he sent the then Chairman of PDP in the state to come and register me in PDP whether I liked it or not. I was still in first bank as an Executive Director and I told him I needed to be MD before I left the bank. We agreed.
“Four or five years later, I found myself contesting election so you cannot talk of my political journey without without talking of my elder brother and my friend, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor”,Otti stated.
Otti praised the Late Prince Ogbulafor for living a life filled with accomplishments and leaving behind a significant legacy. He proudly declared himself as one of the legacies Ogbulafor left behind.
The Governor however regretted that the death occured when the late Ogbulafor was recovering but called for celebration and gratitude for the profound influence that Prince Ogbulafor had on his life and the lives of many others.
He urged the members of the immediate family, especially his wife and aged mother to take heart while pleading with God to grant the deceased a peaceful repose.
In his homily, the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji stressed the need for everyone to know that death is a reality while life is ephemeral and fragile, hence the need to be careful what one does with his life on Earth.
Archbishop Ugorji reminded the living to reconcile with God so as to gain eternal rest at death . He said Prince Ogbulafor laboured and contributed immensely to his family and the wider society and prayed God to grant all concerned the fortitude to bear the loss.
In a tribute, the first son of the deceased, Mr. Uchenna Ezeogbulafor said their father was a good family man, a man of integrity and candour, who was phenomenal in every human endeavour and would be forever missed.
He appreciated the Governor for the relationship that existed between him and their father and for coming to identify with them and prayed God to bless all who contributed to make the burial a success.
Aged 73, the late Prince Vincent Ogbulafor who served as Minister for Economic Affairs during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure is survived by his wife, children and aged mother among numerous relatives.
