Ohanaeze Ndigbo Mourns Former Leader, Joe Irukwu

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed rude shock over the demise of one of its brightest leaders, Prof. Joe Ogbonna Irukwu.

An accomplished legal luminary, moral edifice, insurance and risk management wizard, erudite scholar, of world renown, Irukwu was a former president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

In a press release signed by the national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia said Irukwu was elected the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 2003 and served meritoriously and bowed out in 2007. During his incumbency, Irukwu added colour, glamour, zest, robust intellect and panache to the Igbo umbrella socio-cultural organisation.

He noted that one of his works, “Nation Building and Ethnic Organization: A Case Study of Ohanaeze in Nigeria,” published by Spectrum, is an intellectual Magnus opus that fascinated the scholarly community in 2007 and was one of the best sellers, adding that in the same year, before the expiration of his tenure, Irukwu led other Igbo leaders to commission a multi-million naira complex comprising of a 1,500 -seater auditorium, library and conference room which he built single-handedly “as part of his own legacy to the Igbo man’s quest for equitable recognition and accommodation in the Nigerian polity.”

“One recalls with nostalgia and immense delight, the social skill, wisdom and organizational acumen that Irukwu displayed in the face of the turbulence which was occasioned by the political intrigues that confronted his tenure as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” he added.

Irukwu was called to the English Bar in 1962 and enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the same year. He has held many top positions in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.  Irukwu resisted the lure by Dr. M. I. Okpara, the then Premier of the Eastern Region, to join partisan politics; instead, he chose to pursue his dream of applying his knowledge in law to build an enviable insurance industry in Nigeria. Irukwu painstakingly achieved his set goals and became a foremost risk management expert.

Irukwu made mark as Professor of Insurance, educationist, award winning author and holder of many distinguished fellowships and academic awards. Above all, Irukwu showed a remarkable patriotism as a delegate at the National Political Reform Conference in 2005.

According to the statement, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, could not withhold his emotions on hearing the sad news of the demise of the great Iroko, a senior advocate of Nigeria and member of his Presidential Advisory Council (PAC).

Iwuanyanwu lamented that they have lost a well fulfilled man with a large heart; unassailable friendly finesse and amazing public relations.

He added that Professor Irukwu was a quintessence of courage and character, whose legacies in Ohanaeze Ndigbo will always be remembered with deep emotional attachments. He lamented that Irukwu had left him when his wise counsel was most needed.