Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has received, with regret and sadness, news of the death of a former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof Joseph Ogbonnaya Irukwu, who was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Irukwu, a great son of Item Okpi, in Bende Council of Abia State, passed on at the age of 89. Otti, on behalf of his family and people of the state, commiserated with Irukwu’s family, Amokwe Item, the entire people of Item Okpi and Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the loss of this illustrious son of the state and a Nigerian statesman.
Otti, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Kazie Uko, recalled the giant strides and indelible footprints that Irukwu left behind in the insurance sector, among which are his record as the pioneer Managing Director of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation and Founder of African Development Insurance Company.
MEANWHILE, the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has also expressed his condolences to the late Irukwu’s family. In a statement by Ikpeazu’s media aide, Onyebuchi Ememanka, the ex-governor describes the late professor as an “authentic academic Iroko tree.”
Ikpeazu said: “Irukwu was Africa’s first Professor of Insurance. He was also the one who developed insurance as an academic field in Nigeria, writing several books on the subject. A great lawyer whose academic contributions, especially in the field of Insurance Law, led to his elevation to the rank of SAN.”
The former governor added that the death of Irukwu has robbed Abia, and, indeed, Nigeria of one of the most prized human assets, noting that the development has signaled further depletion the country’s notable elder statesmen, whose passionate and dedicated services helped shape citizens.
