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•Ex-senator for burial tomorrow
From From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Former deputy national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Chuks Ibegbu, has called on Ebonyi State Government and indeed, Igbo, to immortalise Senator Anyim Ude.
Ude who passed on recently represented Ebonyi South senatorial district from 2007 to 2011.
During the period, he was chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation and later, works.
Ibegbu noted that he was committed to issues concerning the Igbo within and without the senate.
“Senator Ude’s vibrancy and doggedness made Akanu Ibiam International airport possible,” the Ohanaeze chieftain said.
Elsewhere, Director, Centre for Memories, Enugu (Ncheta Igbo), Iheanyi Igboko, said Ude was a role model who should be studied and documented for the younger generation to emulate.
He urged Igbo to review their reward system such that those who laboured for them like Ude would be immortalised accordingly.
Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Justice Elvis Ngene, former Minister of State for Health, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, former commissioners of justice and information, Dr. Ben Igwenyi and Prof. Adeline Idike as well as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of National Open University (NOUN), Abuja, Prof. Uduma Orji Uduma, were among prominent Ebonyi people that paid tribute to the late veteran journalist.
At a service of songs in honour of Ude at St. Peters’ Presbyterian Church, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki, who passed on at 82, they said he was a father and mentor to many.
Ude was also one of the founding fathers of Ebonyi State and worked in several media houses during his public service years. He was chief executive officer in those media houses.
For Justice Ngene, Ude was a man who dedicated his service to people and things of God. He noted that the late senator would be missed by the state and the country because of his wealth of experience and contributions to the development of the state and Nigeria.
Nwankwo recalled how the deceased helped him and made the then popular Eastern Nigeria cement factory, Nigercem, functional as commissioner for commerce and industry while he (Nwankwo) was general manager.
He noted that Ude was always leading former military administrator of the state, Walter Feghabo, to the cement factory on how to make it vibrant and it was functional that time.
Also, former commissioner for information and state orientation, Prof. Idike said Ude helped her to succeed as commissioner owing to his wealth of experience in the media.
In his sermon, the Moderator, East Central Synod of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Ikenga Ndukwe, urged Christians to focus on the things of God like the late Ude rather than showing much concern on worldly things. He said Ude impacted on human and made enormous contribution to the growth of the church.
The late senator will be buried tomorrow in his country home, Akaeze in Ivo local government area.
