.Igbo titan has bowed out, says Ohanaeze
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, mourned the passing of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, worldwide, Professor George Obiozor, 80.
He also extended heartfelt condolences to Obiozor’s family, the government and the people of Imo State as well as Ndigbo, at home and in the diaspora.
Buhari’s condolence message is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled President Buhari pays tribute to Prof Obiozor, Ohaneze President General.
According to Adesina, “Describing his demise as an immeasurable loss to the country, the President notes that the former Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States, High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus, Ambassador to the State of Israel and former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs exemplified leadership skills and values as a thoroughbred diplomat.
“The President believes that the contributions of the unique leader and strong proponent of peace and a stable polity, who also held other strategic public positions, will never be forgotten.
“President Buhari trusts that all who mourn the demise of the statesman, who commanded great respect among his peers in the academia and foreign policy arena, will honour his memory by actively embracing his beliefs and ideas geared towards uniting Nigeria beyond geo-political considerations.”
The President said he has fond memories of meeting Prof. Obiozor on several occasions and values his endearing sense of patriotism.
He, therefore, joined the Igbo nation in mourning the irreparable loss of this great son of Nigeria, even as he prays for the peaceful repose of the soul of the deceased.
Similarly, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has declared that the death of its President General, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, has robbed Ndigbo, Nigeria and the world of “a prodigy and an enigma of some sorts: an erudite reflective scholar of world renown, prophetic intellectual, astute resourceful administrator, sagacious phebian political submarine, seasoned diplomat, cultural reservoir, detribalized patriot, jovial cerebral discussant, among others.”
The pan Igbo organisation, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, while celebrating the life and times of Professor Obiozor, recalled the assurance he gave during his first world press conference as the President General, that time has come for the realisation of the age-long collective aspiration for a Nigerian president from the South East of Nigeria.
It also recalled how Professor Obiozor followed up the assurance by leading delegations to former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the British Embassy, South South leader, Chief E K Clarke, Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the Sultan of Sokoto, among others, advocacy visits, which Ohanaeze Ndigbo said, has “assumed an irreversible, unquenchable and irresistible national charm, resonance and unprecedented crescendo.”
The statement also recalled that during the last meeting of the NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide held at Owerri, Obiozor “spoke emotionally about the candidacy of Peter Obi and pointed out that it would have been a major catastrophe if Obi were not in the race” and “expressed satisfaction that Peter Obi has changed the political dynamics of the country and created a pathway for Nigeria’s new beginning.”
It said that “when a chronicle of Igbo personages will be launched, some leaders will appear in footnotes while some chapters will be devoted to Ambassador Professor George Obiozor.”
Full text of the statement reads: Igbo Titan Bows Out
It is with pain and sorrow in our hearts that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and indeed all the Igbo sons and daughters received the news of the passing of Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, CON, (Ugwumba). Until his death, he was the President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization.
Obiozor was a prodigy and an enigma of some sorts: an erudite reflective scholar of world renown, prophetic intellectual, astute resourceful administrator, sagacious phebian political submarine, seasoned diplomat, cultural reservoir, detribalized patriot, jovial cerebral discussant, among others. The most endearing of the Obiozor mystique can be summarised in character; the courage of his convictions, steadfastness and uncompromising commitment to his goals. Obiozor was sometimes misrepresented and misunderstood because of the silent cautious strategy and tactics with which he pursues his goals but behind the great achiever was an uncommon and perfect gentleman of immense proportions. The Obiozor life trajectory is one of the most enviable: he started as a child in Awo-Omamma, went to the USA for further studies, acquired a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), taught in the world class universities and promoted to the rank of a professor of International Relations, served Nigeria in various capacities without blemish as the Director General, Institute of International Affairs, Lagos; Nigerian Ambassador to three countries, Israel, Cyprus and the USA; articulated the Return of Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu with Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and Joe Asogwa in 1982; led the Igbo delegation to the 2014 National Constitutional Conference and ultimately, was elected the President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. Above all, Obiozor in his first world press conference as the President General, at the headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, assured the Igbo that time has come for the age-long collective aspiration of a Nigerian president from the South East of Nigeria. He demonstrated his unassailable commitment to the Igbo by leading delegations to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, British Embassy, Chief E K Clarke, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sultan of Sokoto, among others. The Obiozor led advocacy assumed an irreversible, unquenchable and irresistible national charm, resonance and unprecedented crescendo. During the last meeting of the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide held at Owerri, Obiozor spoke emotionally about the candidacy of Peter Obi and pointed out that it would have been a major catastrophe if Obi were not in the race. He expressed satisfaction that Peter Obi has changed the political dynamics of the country and created a pathway for Nigeria’s new beginning.
The Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, while announcing the death of the Igbo leader stated that “the death of this foremost Igbo leader and former Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America and the State of Israel, is a big loss to Imo State, the South East and the entire Nigeria.”
One can also add that the global academic community has lost a lot with the passing of Obiozor.
Obiozor will be remembered as a man who displayed an uncommon intellect, irrepressible courage, candor, tolerance, large heart and equanimity; he sacrificed his personal comfort in the service of Igbo nation. What stands Obiozor out among his peers is his unique intellectual wizardry, profound sense of humour, extraordinary creative imagination, rationality, clear-headedness, unwavering determination and incandescent passion with which he pursues his views even in most hostile or complex circumstances.
While we condole the wife, children and the immediate family, we take solace in the fact that when a chronicle of Igbo personages will be launched, some leaders will appear in footnotes while some chapters will be devoted to Ambassador Professor George Obiozor.
