Ohanaeze, Anambra State greet Ben Nwabueze at 90

APEX Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Anambra State Government, yesterday, saluted Prof. Ben Nwabueze, as he turned 90, saying his intellectual prowess, courage, ingenuity, patriotism and hard work distinguished him among other Nigerians.

The group, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonna, stated that among the Igbo, the octogenarian has written his name in gold as its founding secretary-general.

“He is endowed with a magnetic mien, uprightly transparent disposition, disarming scholarship and an amazing public relation, the sterling qualities that helped to galvanise eminent Igbo to lend their support in nurturing Ohanaeze Ndigbo to attain an enviable global status,” the statement said

The body added that it was proud of Nwabueze for his various accomplishments, describing him as “an erudite scholar with over 30 books to his credit, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), former Minister of Education, a prodigy in constitutional law whose works have added profound value to constitutional development of several African countries.”

Ohanaeze said it would continue to venerate the elder statesman as a formidable moral edifice and veritable source of inspiration to the younger generation, adding, “ he is a man who speaks truth to power with lucid erudition and inspiring conviction.”

Governor Willie Obiano, in another statement, described the senior lawyer as a global treasure.The Anambra helmsman, in the release signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C.Don Adinuba, submitted that Nwabueze “is a genius well recognised at Harvard University and other key centres of learning around the world.”

“He is probably the world’s greatest constitutional law thinker alive at least in the English-speaking world,” Obiano added.

The governor recalled how the Supreme Court decades ago officially proclaimed “Nwabueze the leading authority on constitutional issues throughout Africa.”

“The government and people of Anambra State are truly grateful that at 90 years, Professor Nwabueze is not only alive, but reasons most profoundly and writes so enchantingly and so lucidly and so logically,” he stated.