Neither the Federal Government nor prominent Onitsha indigenes attended the burial yesterday of late Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe, the first son of the first president of Nigeria, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.Onitsha.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe and his cabinet chiefs were conspicuously absent at the burial, which did not go down well with the mourners and sympathizers during the burial.
The late Chukwuma was a high chief in Onitsha and also perceived as being in the good book of the Federal Government during his lifetime.
Also, the Federal government was not represented at the burial, giving a lie to popular stories in Onitsha during the life of the late Azikiwe that he was President Muhammadu Buhari's friend.
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obianor was represented by the Commissioner for Special duty, Hon Uzoamaka Onuegbu.
Obiano said that the state government had become an integral part of Zik's family.
"You can see how we keep the compound tidy for the burial and we hope the Federal government will complete its work on the library project that is currently going on here", he said.
In his sermon, retired Anglican Archbishop of Awka, Most Rev Maxwell Anikwenwa regretted that people politicised the death of Chukwuma, saying it may have been the reason those expected to grace his burial rites and pay him the last respects had shunned the occasion.
He described Chukwuma as a selfless and generous person that was not interested in acquiring earthly wealth but service to God and humanity.
Also, the former national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance,(APGA) Chief Victor Umeh, said, "the most important thing is for one to achieve heaven", adding that it is not the number of mourners that matter but the heart with which the people receive the demise of the person in question.
He urged the brother of late Chukwuma, Ambassodor Emeka A. Azikiwe and the entire family to take heart, adding that God in His infinite mercy would grant them the heart with which to bear the loss.
AbleMoJah® Nigeria.
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