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Obasanjo against probe of Nwizu’s death
•Says it will hurt
more
LERE OJEDOKUN and DANIEL IDONOR,
Abuja
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said
that instituting a judicial enquiry into the death of the Comptroller-General of
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lady Uzoamaka Nwizu would only inflict more
pains on her family.
Daily Champion
learnt that the remains of the first female
Comptroller-General of Immigration is expected in Nigeria on July 28 this year
aboard a contracted KLM Royal Dutch Airline flight and would be buried three
days later.
The President who devoted part of the
weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to eulogise the late immigration
boss, also regretted that some people could be seeking cheap publicity out of
what he called a "disheartening and tragic" death for the country.
A group, Nnewi Community Meeting,
representing itself as the kinsmen of the late Lady Nwizu’s husband had
petitioned President Obasanjo, urging him to unravel the circumstances that led
to her death, two weeks ago in a United States (U.S) hospital.
Chairman of the group, Mr. Nnamdi Asomugha
had in the petition alleged that Mrs. Nwizu’s demise was due to "unending
threats" that trailed her appointment since 2000.
Senior Special Assistant to the President
on Media, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo told Daily Champion that President Obasanjo
felt a personal loss by Lady Nwizu’s death, describing the call for probe as an
attempt to inflict more pains on the family.
She further stated that what the family
needed most at this period of mourning was support from all and sundry even as
she stressed that there was no controversy whatsoever on the cause of Lady
Nwizu’s death.
"It is disheartening and tragic that
people will seek to have some publicity out of what is certainly a tragedy for
Nigeria, that we have lost such an illustrious daughter who had done her very
level best to serve the nation.
"I am confident that it is not the family
that is seeking this probe. At this time I think the family deserves the
condolence and support from all and sundry and all well-wishers.
"Those who are seeking for a probe of her
death are inflicting more pains on her family. What is important for us all now
is to give support to the family and nobody else," Mrs. Oyo said.
The presidential aide further dismissed
any possible strained relationship between President Obasanjo and the deceased,
declaring that up till Lady Nwizu’s demise, she enjoyed the confidence of the
President.
Her words: "The President was shocked and
indeed very pained because Lady Nwizu was somebody who had the President’s
confidence and the President certainly felt so bad that she was ill and that
finally, God Almighty had taken her. Even in Council today (yesterday), he
discussed her and how very sad he was at the loss of one who clearly served the
nation well."
On the burial programme, Mrs. Oyo stated
that it was a matter for the family and Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs to
handle.
Meanwhile,
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