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Veteran Politician, Humphrey Iweriebor, Dies At 92
BY MONDAY UWAGWU/OBI
CHIEJILE
N
NIGERIA’S political
firmament was partially blighted yesterday with the death of veteran politician
and statesman, Chief Humphrey Chukwuyem Iweriebor. He was 92 years old, and was
one of the first generation of politicians that took over the reins of power on
the back heel of the receding British colonial masters, at political
independence.
Details of his death and
the lead up circumstances remained sketchy at press time last night, but our
sources disclosed that he passed on at about 1 a.m. yesterday at an unnamed
hospital where he had been taking medical services of late.
Though the exact nature of
the ailment that eventually took the Trojan away to the great beyond remained a
family secret at press time, it was reliably learnt that his body has since
been put in a morgue in an undisclosed hospital, awaiting a formal burial
schedule by the family.
Iweriebor, popularly called
the Ogidi of African Politics (he was nicknamed by former Delta State Governor,
Chief James Ibori, for his resilience and doggedness, and for successfully
predicting, well ahead of time, his –Ibori’s- eventual election victory in the
1999 state gubernatorial poll) has been involved in Nigeria’s partisan
political activities for the past 63 years.
He is survived by legion
well to do children, including Hon. Festus Anwuli Iweriebor, who, last night,
confirmed the demise of the veteran politician, in a telephone call from Boji-
Boji Owa, Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Anwuli Iweriebor, the
former Chairman, Ika North-East Local Government, told The Pointer that his
father, a resolute political apostle of Nigeria’s late political sage, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, left him with one major advice-to be good to everyone that he comes
across in life.
He said , inter alia :
” I don’t want to talk much on this for now, but I can confirm that our
father, the Ogidi of African politics, died today (yesterday) at about 1am in a
hospital I will not name for now. He had been taking treatment for an
age-related ailment and had been responding to treatment, until he passed on.
“Before he died, he
repeated his usual advice to me, which is to be good and kind to everyone that
I come across, no matter what, and to be humble and selfless. He was a mentor
to many politicians, old and young, and he was most kind-hearted and
approachable and believed in service to all.”
The former local government
chairman said that no burial programme had been drawn up in respect of the
fallen elder statesman, whose death brings to two, the number of such
first-generation politicians of the state origin who have departed for the
great beyond, in the past roughly two years, the first being former Deputy
Premier of the defunct Mid West Region, Chief James Ekpre Otobo.
Pa Iweriebor’s contemporary
in the defunct Bendel State House of Assembly, Dr. Emmanuel Urhobo, passed on
about the same time as Chief Otobo, who hailed from Uzere, the second town in
the country (after Oloibiri in Bayelsa State) where crude oil was found in
commercial quantity.
He was a pioneer member of
the defunct Action Group allied to Chief Awolowo, and went on, in 1952, to be
elected councillor on its ticket ,into the defunct Ika District Council. He was
equally elected into the defunct Bendel State Legislature, where he was
outstanding in grass root representation, and was at several times, leader of
the AG, the Grassroot Democratic Movement (GDM), the Social Democratic Party
(SDP)-all defunct-and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the local
government area.
…Rt. Hon. Sam Obi Reacts
Meanwhile, the former
Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) and erstwhile Acting Governor
of Delta State, the Rt. Hon. (Prince) Sam Obi, in his reaction to the
development, described the death of Chief Iwerebor as a huge loss to the PDP
family, the state and the nation.
In a statement issued on
his behalf by his political aide, Mr. George Kwuhodu, Rt. Hon Obi described the
passing on of Hon. Iweriebor as a huge loss to the Ika nation and the PDP
family at both the state and national levels.
He noted that in his life
time, Chief Iweriebor was a bridge-builder, peace-maker and an astute
politician who was a great devotee to public service and the selfless service
of his constituents.
Rt. Hon Obi also said that
the late veteran politician would be greatly missed, especially by his numerous
political children, right from his days as a political leader in the defunct AG
and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to his time as a leader of the PDP.
No Burial Date Yet For Pa Iweriebor –Son
By Maxwell Momah -Boji-Boji
Owa
NO by Plus-HD-1.3" style="min-height: 0px ! important;
min-width: 0px ! important;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:
0%;background-position-y:0%;float:none" id="_GPLITA_2">date has been fixed for the burial of
late Pa Humphrey Iweriebor, until meetings of family members and various
stakeholders.
This was disclosed to The Pointer by Hon. Festus Iweriebor, former Chairman of
Ika North East Local Government Area, yesterday.
Hon. Iweriebor said the family is yet to meet and that at the appropriate time,
a convenient date would be fixed to give the Ogidi of African politics a
befitting burial.
He said the death of Hon. Iweriebor, 92, has been taken in good faith, as he
lived a fulfilled life that should be celebrated.
He said emphasis for now is on pre-burial of the late Political Icon who
through his political sagacity changed the political platform of Ika nation.
Hon. Iweriebor, who died last Thursday was known for his party discipline
and as by Plus-HD-1.3" style="min-height: 0px ! important;
min-width: 0px ! important;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:
0%;background-position-y:0%;float:none" id="_GPLITA_0">networking politicians whose house was a
Mecca for political aspirants across the state and beyond.
The Ogidi of African politics as he was popularly called once represented Ika
District in the then Bendel State, a staunch member of the Action Group and on
various occasions served as Chairman Action Group, Social Democratic Party SDP,
Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) before he step aside from active politics due to age.
He was no doubt the father of many, and the scores of people that had visited
his residence both at Boji-Boji Owa and Owa-Oyibu, his ancestral by Plus-HD-1.3" style="min-height: 0px ! important;
min-width: 0px ! important;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:
0%;background-position-y:0%;float:none" id="_GPLITA_1">home attest to the regard and respect
his people has for him.
Sources: Pointer Newspaper,
Asaba
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