The National Burial Committee for the late President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has rolled out a programme of activities to give him a befitting farewell.
The programme kicks off Wednesday, October 16, 2024 with a Day of Tributes at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, chairman of the committee, Senator Ben Obi, disclosed on Monday in Abuja.
Prof Okey Ikechukwu, the chairman of the National Burial sub-committee on Media and Publicity, who represented Obi, noted that the committee is determined to give Chief Iwuanyanwu a deserved burial.
Describing the late President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo as “a distinguished national icon, leader, business mogul, sports philanthropist and patriot”, Prof. Ikechukwu said the Day of Tributes in Lagos with be followed by another Day of Tributes in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, October 18 at the National Ecumenical Centre.
“Following this, on Saturday, October 26, 2024, Chief Iwuanyanwu’s body will arrive Enugu, en-route Owerri. There shall be a grand reception first, at the OHANEZE Headquarters and then Tributes at the Michael Okpara Square before departure to Owerri.
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“The climax of the funeral rites will take place on Tuesday October 29 beginning with a Service of Songs in Owerri.
“The body will be conveyed to his hometown, Atta in Ikeduru Local Government Area, for a final Commendation Service and Interment on the 1st of November 2024,” Prof Ikechukwu stated.
He said the elaborate arrangement is necessary in order to ‘regenerate interest’ on the persona of Chief Iwuanyanwu because the generation that knew him well has largely passed on.
Prof Ikechukwu said federal, state and local government functionaries, as well as major regional political and socio-cultural organisations, elder statesmen and women, youth and women organisations have reaffirmed their individual and collective resolve to give Chief Iwuanyanwu a befitting burial.
He recalled Chief Iwuanyanwu’s many endeavours which impacted the Nigerian economy with investments in media (publisher of Champion Newspapers), banking, sports (Iwuanyanwu Nationale Football Club), aviation (Oriental Airlines) and philanthropy.
The burial ceremonies, he noted, are designed to celebrate and immortalise Chief Iwuanyanwu’s propriety and sense of value, stressing that it is not much about monuments or annual lectures.
“I should use this occasion to express our profound gratitude to all Nigerians and well-wishers across the globe and the media, for their outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.
“This is perhaps not entirely surprising given that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, is one of the few Nigerians who can be described as a gift of God to Ndigbo, to this country and to the world in general.
“He touched many lives, communities and sectors in his long and eventful life. He invested heavily in nation building, group cohesion and the struggle for equity in our national life,” Ikechukwu stated even as he stressed that Chief Iwuanyanwu performed with distinction in all these areas and left lasting and indelible impressions.
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