Follow Us on Google
By Enyeribe Ejiogu
The family of late statesman, Dr Basil Nnanna Ukegbu, has announced that he will be buried on December 30, 2025 will be buried on December 30, 2025, at his country home in Amafor, Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Imo State.
The renowned educationist and philanthropist, who was born in August 1929, was a member of the Federal Parliament from 1959 to 1966, during which served as Chief Whip (1965–1966) for his party, the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), which was a ruling coalition partner in the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In 1979, he contested as the candidate of the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) in the Imo State governorship.
Other News
Ukegbu, who earned a PhD in Economic History from the University of London, founded Owerri Grammar School (OGS), Imerienwe in 1958, and later, TEDEM and Dorothy Colleges, also in Imerienwe.
In 1982, he established Nigeria’s, and Africa’s, first private university, Imo Technical University, for which he fought a dogged legal battle up to the Supreme Court, winning a landmark decision in 1983. The apex court’s judgment paved the way for the massive growth in the establishment of private universities now being witnessed in the country.
Ukegbu, who believed in and strongly practiced the financial management concept he called Resource Conversion Efficiency (RCE) was widely respected for his fiscal prudence and steadfast commitment to probity in public service. From his youth, he was a fearless defender of the underdog and the marginalised and an activist dedicated to grassroots development, and a tireless advocate of democratic rule.
In a statement, Dr Philip Ukegbu and Mr Hector Ukegbu, jointly invited friends, late Ukegbu’s mentees, political associates, and the general public to join the family in celebrating the life and legacy of the remarkable statesman.
“In his lifetime, Dr Basil Nnanna Ukegbu was not only a national political leader but also a devoted family man, a pillar of his community, and a philanthropist. His enduring contributions to his former Owerri South West Federal Constituency comprising Ngor Okpala LGA and part of Aboh Mbaise LGA in today’s Imo State and to the nation as a whole, will be remembered for generations to come,” the family said.
