Former governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim has described late elder statesman, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu as a brilliant politician who was never a victim of desperate quest for power and political patronage.
Ohakim disclosed this in a statement he issued on Monday and availed Daily Nigerian Horn.
The statement further reads:
I join millions of other Nigerians to mourn our fellow compatriot, brother and elder statesman, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, who passed away on Saturday July 19, 2020.
A lot has been said and written about this illustrious Nigerian especially concerning his pioneering efforts, more than two decades ago, at gifting the world with a completely indigenously made in Nigeria vehicle, Z-600.
Dr. Izuogu’s passage comes at a most significant time because it coincides with a period during which Nigeria, nay Africa, is passing through pains that would not have been as excruciating as we experiencing had our past leaders paid attention to the strategic imperative of capacity building, whether individual or collective.
Engineer Izuogu showed uncommon capacity that came from a combination of personal talent, training and exposure but which, unfortunately, was not harnessed; for the same reason that makes our country a most vivid illustration of the metaphor of an aero plane which took off but never able to gain altitude. He certainly was not the only Nigerian whose ingenuity was so shoddily treated but his death at a period like this offers us a good opportunity for introspection.
Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu was also a brilliant politician who was never a victim of desperate quest for power or political patronage. He might not be the author of “Politics Without Bitterness” but it was he who manifested its tenets in practical terms.
We can pay him no greater tribute than to strive, from now onwards, to uphold his most cherished ideals particularly that of a rancour-free polity in which the interest of the people takes paramount over personal ambition.
My family and I join other well meaning Nigerians to pray the good Lord to grant him eternal rest.
NIGERIAN HORN
