REACTIONS have continued to trail the demise of the Second Republic speaker of the House of Representatives and former national chairman of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, who died in India, on Monday, at the age of 76 years.

While reacting to his death, President Goodluck Jonathan said he received the news with sadness and feeling of national loss.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, on Wednesday, the president extended his heartfelt condolences to members of the Ume-Ezeoke family and the ANPP.

Jonathan prayed God to comfort his family and grant him eternal peace.

The Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Wednesday, also described the late Chief Ume-Ezeoke as a defender of human rights and democracy.

Reacting to his death, Senator Mark said Ume-Ezeoke was a true democrat, who championed the rule of law and promoted equity and justice during his lifetime.

Mark noted that Ume-Ezeoke was one of the pillars of our modern day democracy, adding that he truly laid the foundation of the National Assembly we had today.

He lamented that the nation would miss the wealth of experience of the foremost parliamentarian, whose wisdom would have been handy at this point of democratic evolution in the country.

The presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last April election, General Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesperson, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said the death of Ume-Ezeoke was most unfortunate, especially as he died in a foreign land.

Buhari said “to think that India, which was just in the same phase of developmental projections with Nigeria in the 60’s has now become our medical haven is a big indictment on the way our health facilities have been grounded.”

The Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiom-hole, described the death of Chief Ume-Ezeoke as a big loss to the political class in the country.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, the governor said the late politician left an indelible print in the nation’s political space.

According to him, “Ume-Ezeoke’s contributions to the enthronement of democracy as a member of the G-34 after years of military rule are indelible,” adding that he was also outstanding as speaker of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic.

His Anambra State counterpart, Governor Peter Obi, described the death of former chairman of the ANPP as a great loss to Nigeria.

Obi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka, on Wednesday, said “before he travelled to India on medical treatment, he visited me on what we are doing and how he could contribute. We held a very useful discussion,” adding that “we shall greatly miss him and his wealth of experience.”

The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, on Tuesday, said with the death of the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Ume-Ezeoke, Nigeria had lost an icon.

Ihedioha expressed sadness over the death of the former chairman of the ANPP, adding that the late Ume-Ezeoke would have had more positive contributions to the growth of democracy in the country.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Oke Epia, the deputy speaker lamented that the country had lost an icon, whose wealth of knowledge and experience contributed in no small measure to the promotion of legislature in the country.

Comments (0)

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment