The Nigerian government has renamed the Federal University, Ndufu-Ikwo in Ebonyi State after the late former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced the renaming on Friday at Oko, Anambra State during the burial of Mr. Ekwueme, who was Vice President of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983.
Mr. Osinbajo said the renaming had already been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, who had said Mr. Ekwueme was being honoured for his contributions to national development.
Governor David Umahi described the development as a welcome one and part of his administration’s educational policy.
Governor Umahi in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, commended the federal government for appreciating his educational policy and rewarding same by renaming a federal government university in the state “after a sage and former Vice President of Nigeria.”
Mr. Ekwueme who died late last year was buried on Friday at Oko, his hometown.
He ran for Presdent several times but was particularly credited with the idea of the creation of six geopolitical zones in Nigeria when he was a member of the National Constitutional Conference in 2005 during the regime of Sani Abacha.
He confronted Abacha with the formation of the G-34, when the late dictator tried to run as life president. G-34 metamorphosed into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which took over power in 1999 when the present republic was inaugurated.
Mr. Ekwueme trained and qualified as an architect, a sociologist and a lawyer.
He attended the prestigious Kings College, Lagos, before travelling abroad to pursue university education.
He founded the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State and set up a foundation that offered thousands of scholarships to people from the Old Aguata region.
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