•Obiano condoles with him
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Chief Richard Nwachukwu Okeke, father of Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke has passed away.
Late Chief Okeke, who was the Ozuo of Enugwu Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state died last Sunday, at the age of 88.
Governor Willie Obiano, who was one of the early callers to the home of his deputy to commiserate with him and his siblings, described the death of the octogenarian as a great loss to the state. Paying glowing tributes to the late patriarch whom he described as a great community leader and a man of peace; Obiano regretted that his passage at this moment in time has robbed the state and Nigeria of his stabilising influence and his well-known skills in consensus building.
He said: “Our country is poorer without him. Chief Okeke left us when we needed him most. He was a great man; a man who devoted so much time to working for a better world but still had enough time to raise great sons and daughters that have become leaders in their own right. We shall all miss him but we shall take solace in the fact that he led an exemplary life and left a huge legacy.”
Obiano, who prayed for the family of the late patriarch, asked God to give them the fortitude to bear the painful loss of their father.
Quoting the English playwright, William Shakespeare that “death, a necessary end, will come when it will come,” the governor observed that the passage of such a great man as Chief Okeke actually calls for a celebration of his enormous achievements.
He said: “So, while we mourn his transition, we must not fail to celebrate him and thank God for fulfilling His own purpose in Chief Okeke’s life.”
Daily Sun gathered that the official announcement of Chief Okeke’s passage would be made by the Igwe-in-Council at the right time.