By Okey Ndiribe & Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA — The House of Representatives, yesterday, passed a motion asking theFederal Government to name a federal institution after Nigeria’s first Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.

This was sequel to a motion moved on the floor of the House by Mr Daniel Reyenieju, who represents Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

Reyenieju urged his colleagues to immortalise the late First Republic Finance Minister.

He informed his colleagues that the national recognition being sought for the late politician had been accorded to most prominent political office holders killed during the first military coup’d etat of January 1966.

He recalled the events that took place during the military coup of  January 15, 1966 in which the first post-independence democratic government was toppled.

Reyenieju said: “He was also the first member of Warri Federal Constituency. In short, he was my predecessor.”

He explained that it was the former Minister that established the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company.

He noted: ”Of all those that were killed during the coup, only Okotie-Eboh is the Nigerian that had not been immortalised.

“Okotie-Eboh had the opportunity to escape but refused to do that; instead he was repeatedly asking the security men ‘where is my boss,’ the Prime Minister, before he was assassinated. Even the policeman who recovered the corpses of both the Prime Minister and Finance Minister is still alive but very old.“

The motion was seconded by Mr Idris Kutigi.