Nigerians Mourns Ojo Maduekwe, Elechi Amadi

Chief Ojo Maduekwe

NIGERIANS have continued to express grief over the death of two prominent figures; Chief Ojo Maduekwe, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, lawyer and politician, and foremost literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi (rtd), of “The Concubine” novel-publication.

Maduekwe, who was until his death the Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), died on Wednesday at the age of 71 shortly after he was rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja where he passed on following taking ill-health that surfaced shortly after his return from a trip to the United States.

Maduekwe, formally National Secretary of the PDP in 2005 was born on May 6, 1945 in Ohafia, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsuka with LL.B Honours in 1972, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1973.

Dr Elechi Amadi

Other positions he held included Nigerian Ambassador to Canada (2011-2015); Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Transport (2000-2003); Minister of Culture & Tourism (1990-2000); Legal and Constitutional Adviser to the President (2003-2005); Member, National Assembly (Second Republic) in 1983; Member, Constitutional Assembly (1988-1990); Member, National Constitutional Conference (1994-1995); and Adviser to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman (1990-1992).

He also once served as the adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-1995); Member, National Boundaries Adjustment Commission (1997-1998) and was elected a senator in 1998 in the Third Republic...

Madukwe belonged to many professional bodies including the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), American Bar Association and International Bar Association, and was until demise a Senior Partner of Maduekwe & Co.

A foremost author, poet and novelist, Elechi Amadi, died at about 3.49pm yesterday at the Good Heart Hospital, Port Harcourt of an undisclosed ailment, according to his family member at 82.

Apart from The Concubine, his other works include The Great Ponds, The Road to Ibadan, Isiburu, Sunset in Biafra, Dance of Johannesburg, Peppersoup, The Slave, Estrangement, Les Grand Etangs, and The Woman of Calabar.

Born in 1934 in Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Amadi attended Government College, Umuahia (1948–52), Survey School, Oyo (1953–54), and the University of Ibadan (1955–59), where he obtained a degree in Physics and Mathematics.

He worked for a time as a land surveyor and later was a teacher at several schools, including the Nigerian Military School, Zaria (1963–66). Amadi served in the Nigerian Army, remained there during the Nigerian Civil War, and retired at the rank of captain.

He held various positions with the Rivers State Government: Permanent Secretary (1973–83), Commissioner for Education (1987–88) and Commissioner for Lands and Housing (1989–90).

He was a writer-in-residence and lecturer at the Rivers State College of Education (now Ignatius Ajuru University of Education), where he also held the positions of Dean of Arts, Head of the Literature Department and Director of General Studies.