Victor Ezeja
Apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has expressed sadness over the sudden death of Dr Ferdinand Agu, a former Director General of the defunct Nigerian Maritime Authority (NMA), now Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMSA).
Prime Business Africa reports that Agu died of heart attack on Friday morning.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAgu, an Architect by profession, had also served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan (2011 – 2015), and until his death, was the Pro-Chancellor of Federal University of Health Sciences, Oturkpo.
READ ALSO: Former NIMASA DG, Ferdinand Agu, Dies
Ohanaeze in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, said it received the news of Agu’s passing with deep shock, saying he was an “Igbo prodigy.”
Ogbonnia said Agu, who was fondly called “Ferdy” by his peers had served as Secretary, Ohanaeze Committee on Planning and Strategy, and also a former member, Ohanaeze committee on Diaspora.
Highlighting other critical roles that Agu played in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the statement “Ferdy worked closely with Professor Charles Soludo, CFR to produce the Ohanaeze document for Restructuring of the Nigerian Federation which was presented to the public on Monday, May 21, 2018, at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka.
“When it mattered most, the Ferdy social skill was sought in conducting the election that produced the Late Prof. George Obiozor as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at Owerri.
“Furthermore, in the clamour to develop the Igbo, Ferdy worked closely with a renowned economist, Professor Osita Ogbu to develop a template, that if implemented would transform Ala Igbo to a self-sustaining economy; and many others.”
Ogbonnia said the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, could not withhold his sorrow on hearing the sad news.
According to him, Chief Iwuanyanwu, who exclaimed that another Igbo genius is gone, lamented that Nigeria could not tap or harness the enormous resource reservoir in Ferdinand before he passed on.
“The likes of Architect Ferdinand are very scarce to find, an exceptional moral edifice, an outstanding man among men, orator and mobile encyclopedia; his amazing character comeliness, marital exemplariness, oratorical skill, political sagacity, dispositional humility, veritable source of inspiration, community leadership, audacious entrepreneurial acumen, role model and an unblemished public administrator,” he stated.
The statement added that “Ohanaeze Ndigbo consoles the wife, the children, the aged mother, his siblings, the Obinagu Udi community and indeed the good people of Enugu State over this irreparable loss.
“While we pray that the Almighty God will grant the soul of Architect Ferdinand Agu an eternal rest in his bosom, we urge the bereaved to accept with serenity the things we cannot change.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
