The remains of the former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Late Prof Joseph Ogbonnaya Irukwu have been laid to rest in his hometown, Amokwe Item in Bende Local Government Area of the state.
Aged 89, the late Prof Irukwu was until his death the doyen of insurance in Nigeria, a seasoned administrator, a legal luminary and an illustrious son of Igbo land.
The event attracted the presence of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Chief Udom Emmanuel, Wife of the former Governor of Oyo state, Mrs Florence Ajumobi, Former DG, Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh, General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd), Former Nigerian Ambassador to Argentina, Chief Empire Kanu as well as the President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Others include; Sen Enyinnaya Abaribe, Members of the National and state Assembly, former National Assembly members including Sen Adolphus Wabara, Secretary General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Okey Emuche, Secretary to the state Government, Prof Kenneth Kalu, former deputy speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Sir Cosmos Ndukwe, Captains of industries, Traditional rulers among other distinguished dignitaries.
Speaking at the interdenominational funeral service held at Jane Egbichi Oteh Mini stadium, Governor Alex Otti, who extolled the life, impactful contributions, and enduring legacy of the late Prof. Irukwu, expressed shock at his untimely departure.
He highlighted the deceased’s desire to seeing positive change in Abia but regretted that it was tragically cut short by his passing just one month after the emergence of the present administration.
The Governor acknowledged the deceased’s significant achievements in various fields, such as insurance, law, and his leadership within Ohaneze Ndigbo but stressed that the most profound accomplishment of Prof. Irukwu was his devotion to the Christian faith.
Otti encouraged those in attendance to embrace a spiritual connection with Christ, saying “If you believe you’ve achieved great success in life but have neglected to sit and pray to God, it’s time to reconsider your priorities”.
He pointed out that on the day of resurrection, the deceased along with all those who had devoted their lives to Christ, would rise and find eternal peace with God.
While emphasising that life and death are in the hands of God, Governor Otti urged the Irukwu family to bear the loss with fortitude.
Former President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Gary Igariwe in his tribute on behalf of the apex pan Igbo socio-cultural group said the deceased was an exceptional leader who distinguished himself in service to the Ohaneze, Igbos and Nigerians at large and prayed to God to console the family he left behind.
In his tribute, the President General of the Item Development Association, Sir Onwuka Orji said the late Prof Joe Irukwu trained and mentored a constellation of Item professionals and captains of industry who are excelling all over t the world adding that with his passing, a big vacuum has been created in the socio-political landscape of the south-east in particular and Nigeria in general.
Also presenting a tribute, a grandson of the deceased, Tobe Irukwu described their late grandfather as a strong and caring man who loved his family greatly, adding that he would be missed by all.
In his Sermon, Rev Dr Okey Onuzo who took his text from the book of Matt 13:24 & Numbers 6:22-27 preached on the essence of the love of God in mankind wherein God gave his son to die in order to redeem mankind and added that whosoever receives Christ will have eternal life.
