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Eulogies as Asika’s death is confirmed
ALPHONSUS NWEZE, Onitsha, and
KENNETH OFOMA, Abakaliki
A bouquet of
eulogies has poured in for former administrator of defunct East Central State,
the late Dr. Anthony Ukpabi Asika who died on Tuesday in Abuja.
Then East Central State now comprises
Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states.
Early tributes came from Ebonyi State
Government, the Onitsha traditional institution (Asika hailed from the
commercial city) and others.
Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information
Dr. John Otu in his reaction described the death of Chief Asika as a great loss
to Ndigbo and Nigeria in general. Otu said that Asika was an illustrious
son of Ndigbo in his own right.
The commissioner told our reporter in a
telephone interview in Abakaliki that the departed elder statesman having served
as the Administrator of defunct East Central State, had been elevated to the
status of those whose names and roles occupy prominent place in the history of
the nation. Otu commiserated with fellow Nigerians and the family, particularly
the wife of the departed statesman, Mrs. Chinyere Asika, who he said is still
serving the nation in an exalted capacity as the Special Adviser to President
Olusegun Obasanjo on New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). He wished
the soul of Chief Asika a peaceful respose.
In his own reaction, the Secretary to
Ebonyi State Government, Prof. Ozo Nweke Ozo, said the death of Ukpabi was most
unfortunate; even though he was aware that the elder statesman had been sick for
a long time. He said he would remember Chief Asika as the administrator of
defunct East Central State, a position he occupied at the time Nigeria was
coming out of the civil war.
"At that time, Igbo were neither here nor
there and it was his position to reconcile them and re-integrate them back to
the mainstream of the Nigerian nation. I didn’t envy his position, because
though an Igbo man, any action he took was capable of being given many
interpretations," he said.
Prof. Ozo said that in judging Chief Asika
people should first appreciate his position at that time, which was a difficult
one but he was able to come out of it with his head high as an Igboman, anybody
else could have acted worse than he did. In his own case, he tried to reconcile
the position of Igbos and the Federal Government then."
Yesterday, while confirming Asika’s death,
the Onitsha traditional institution paid tribute to him, describing him as
"intelligent, clever and very knowledgeable person".
Dr. Chuma Agbakoba, the Agboriogu of
Onitsha, who spoke for Onitsha traditional institution, confirmed the demise of
Ajie Asika, who he described as a man who has the courage of a tiger to have
stood against all odds and took side with the Federal side at the time he did.
Dr. Agbokoba who retired as an
agricultural expert with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said he
was shocked by the demise of Asika who was his age mate and childhood friend.
He said that both of them were at
University College, Ibadan and met again at University of Callifornia where
Asika met his wife, Dibueze Chinyere Asika.
He stated that Ajie was very political and
vocal person, stressing that politics did not just start with his appointment as
an administrator.
The Agboriogu of Onitsha lamented that the
demise of Asika has robbed Onitsha and indeed Nigeria a pillar.
"He was very dear to us. I need not tell
you the role he played during the war. It needed somebody with the courage of a
tiger to stand against all odds and take side with Nigeria because he was
convinced that Nigeria has to be one", said Chief Agbakoba.
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