By Tony Edike

THE remains of the demised leader of the Republic of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu will be finally committed to mother earth today at the Eze Odumegwu family compound in Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State.  He passed on at a London hospital on November 26, 2011 after a protracted illness that lasted for about a year.

His death had generated a lot of interests within and outside the country as those who had associated with him one way or the other, his aides during the Biafran civil war and politicians that had worked with him in his political days eulogized him in their condolences and tributes and indicated their interest to participate in his funeral.

He was knocked down by a cardiovascular accident otherwise known as stroke at his CasaBianca residence, GRA, Enugu in December in December 2010 and was admitted at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH Enugu where he was placed on ventilator for about five days, but his condition could not improve.

21-gun salute as Nigeria bids farewell to Ojukwu

He was later flown to London by a German Air Ambulance on December 23, 2010 and was treated by different hospitals there before he gave up the ghost on November 26, 2011 at the age of 78.
His remains were brought back to Nigeria on Monday, February 27 exactly 430 days after he was flown out in coma to a London Hospital and 91 days after his demise.

The Burial Committee set up by Igbo leaders is chaired by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and co-chaired by Senator Uche Chukwumerije.  The committee had lined up a number of events as part of its mandate which was to ensure a befitting funeral for the late Biafran leader.

Arrangement for the burial rite of Ojukwu, who was later known as Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu (Leader of Igbo nation worldwide) was therefore planned to be a national event even though Igbo in Diaspora were allotted various roles.

Co-chairman of the Burial Committee, Senator Chukwumerije had explained that due to Ojukwu’s stature, series of activities were scheduled to take place in all parts of the country and abroad,  which commenced to Aba through Enugu to Abakaliki, the South-East geo-political zone was literarily shut down yesterday as the outpouring of grief and tributes ushering the remains of late Elder statesman and former Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu into the country hit his native Igbo land.

The programme actually commenced February 8 with the mounting of billboards in all strategic places in the country and this was followed by the traditional Icho Mmadu (looking for the deceased Eze Igbo) by youth organizations in the entire South East states.  This was observed in all the five states but at the end of it, the participants said they could not find him anywhere in the country.

An undated photo of Chief Ojukwu at an Igbo National Assembly meeting.

Special prayer for Nigeria and Justice for Ndigbo and other groups in the country in various churches on Sunday, February 12 just as the same Icho Mmadu was held in Zungeru, where Ojukwu was born and in Abidjan, where he took refuge after the Civil war.

There was a similar programmes in Kaduna and Accra, while people in Seme, Abidjan and citizens in Diaspora also performed their own activities on Wednesday, as well as  in Nigeria in Makurdi, Benue state, Kano, Calabar, Kano, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Lagos, Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Aba, Enugu, Awka and Nnewi between February 14 and 25th.

There were arguments as to whether the late Biafran leader would be accorded full military honours as Army General during his burial. But when his corpse touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on February 27, it became clear that the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan had decided to give Ojukwu a well-deserved national honour.

His golden casket draped in the Nigerian flag complete with a green army cap, was greeted with a full military funeral parade, President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame  Patience, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika and Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, were among eminent Nigerians, who showered tributes on the revered Igbo leader on arrival. The ceremony at Abuja was almost turned into a political event as politicians from across the political divide thronged the arena to pay their last respects.

From Abuja the corpse was flown to Owerri on Monday where it commenced the tour of the entire South Eastern states of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu. Between Monday and Wednesday Ojukwu’s remains had been received at Owerri, Aba, Abakaliki and Enugu, where he had spent the rest of his life after returning from exile in 1982. In all these states it was a carnival of sort as people from all walks of life converged at the designated venues to pay their last respect.

Encomiums and tributes were showered on the late Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu. After a special mass held in his honour at the Holy Ghost Catholic Diocese by Bishop Callistus Onaga on Wednesday where eminent religious leaders prayed for the repose of Ojukwu’s soul, a night of tribute was also held in his honour at the Enugu Sports Club. Several tributes were presented by different people who extolled the leadership qualities of Ojukwu and came up with a verdict that the vexing issues which compelled
Ojukwu to make the Ahiara Declaration that gave birth to the Republic of Biafra have not been laid to rest.

Various speakers at the occasion cited the current insecurity caused by the activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which they said, had claimed the lives of several Igbo living in northern parts of the country.

An event described as the Grand National reception for Ojukwu was held at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu on Thursday.  His corpse lay in state and eminent Nigerians from different parts of the country converged to honour the late Ikemba.

From there his remains were moved to his home state, Anambra. There was a brief stop over at Awka, the state capital where another ceremony took place before the “triumphant entry” into his Nnewi community for the final funeral ceremony and internment holding today.

Both Senator Chukwumerije and Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman of APGA who doubles as Chairman of the Works Committee of the Burial Committee, had assured that all necessary arrangement had been made for the successful hosting of the funeral programmes at Nnewi.

Although, the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa led National Burial Committee had identified crowd control as the greatest challenge being anticipated when the corpse finally arrives his hometown Umudim, Nnewi on Mach 1 because of the huge crowd that poured into the auto-spare parts town, adequate provisions were made to ensure effective crowd control in addition to a water tight security arrangement made in conjunction with security agencies.

Umeh who spoke during the final inspection of  Ojukwu’s home in Umudim Nnewi  by members of the burial committee including Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Prof. ABC Nwosu, secretary, Sentor Azu Agboti, Nnia Nwodo, former governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done at the premises.  Said he: “You can see for yourself we have done so much here; we got this place ready for the burial ceremony of March 2; you can see the tomb there already completed; So we are set for the ceremony,” Umeh said.

“We know that this place will be besieged by people on the day of interment. But the security sub-committee has experienced security personnel from the police and armed forces; if we are able to manage the crowd, which is going to be the major problem, I believe everything will go very well,” he added.