Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has bemoaned the passing of former President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof Joe Irukwu, describing it as shocking, sad and regrettable.
Irukwu, according to his son, Pastor Agu Irukwu, passed on at the age of 89 on Saturday.
A statement by Oguwike Nwachuku, the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to Governor Uzodimma said his boss regretted that Ndigbo and Nigeria have lost a great statesman who did his best to promote love, unity, equity and justice, not just in Igbo land, but in Nigeria as a whole.
Governor Uzodimma said the deceased’s legacy in the legal profession and insurance industry where he distinguished himself and rose to become the Managing Director of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation as well as the founder of African Development Insurance Company will not be forgotten in a hurry in Nigeria.
The Governor therefore commiserated with the family, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the Government and the people of Abia State where Prof Irukwu hailed from, and prayed God to grant all that he left behind to mourn his passing the fortitude to bear the loss.
While urging them to find solace in the legacies Prof. Irukwu left behind, Governor Uzodimma, on behalf of his family, Government and people of Imo State, also prayed God for the peaceful repose of the soul of the deceased.