Anya-Ndi-Igbo Hails Eleazu At 95

Anya-Ndi-Igbo, a non – partisan, sociopolitical and economic development oriented organisation, has celebrated its Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr Uma Eleazu, who clocked 95 on June 16, describing his mental alertness and physical fitness as blessings from God.

Engr. Chris Okoye, the President of Anya-Ndi-Igbo,which is also an umbrella think tank Body of all accomplished Ndiigbo organizations that signed the statement on Friday in Enugu, extolled the kind of life the nonagenarian lived as well as his achievements to better the lot of humanity.

It noted that attaining the age of 95 in a country where life expectancy is in the lower 50s, was simply the blessing of God on Eleazu’s life.

According to the group, the real essence of his life is not in its longevity; but the fact that he lived a life of legacy, defined by the uncommon zeal to live deliberately and impact on the lives of people and the society.

“Dr. Eleazu has used every single day of his 95 years to pursue ful – heartedly what he desired to experience, feel, learn and do.

“And in doing this, he has always placed public good over and above self-serving
interests. Imbued with the sterling qualities of diligence, foresight and
pragmatism, Dr. Eleazu is a study in patriotism,” the group said.

The group added that his belief in both the greatness of Nigeria and the noble cause of Igbo renaissance has secured him a comfortable place in the venerable pantheon of national leadership.

“Even at 95, his exceptional dignity and humility stand him out as an extraordinary leader.

“He is the son of a Methodist catechist, who desired, as a young man, to be a pastor, the young Eleazu’s brilliance took him to the pinnacle of the academic world, graduating with a first degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Kings College, University of Durham in 1962.

“Two years later he earned a Master’s
degree in Applied Economics from the same University.

“In 1965, he bagged another Master’s degree, this time in Public Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and subsequently a PhD in Public Administration in 1968,” they stressed.

According to the group, coming back to Nigeria immediately after the civil war, a period he regrets not being around to defend Biafra as most of his age mates did, he served Nigeria fervently in various capacities in both the public and private sectors.

The group said Eleazu set up the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, served on the 1978 Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) set up by General Olusegun Obasanjo to midwife the 1979 Constitution and was also a member of the Constituent Assembly.

“He was invited by General Abdulsalami
Abubakar to be part of the Constitutional Debate Coordinating Committee that
midwifed the 1999 Constitution.

“Eleazu was also a delegate to the 2005 National political reform conference during the Obasanjo s administration.

“He served as chairman of the Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) with the mandate to commercialise its operations and once headed the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), as well as facilitated the creation of the manufacturers associations in Kenya and Uganda.

It explained that before going into public service, Eleazu was a university teacher both at home and abroad.

Upon retirement, he found time to expand his pursuits into several other fields.

According to the body, he was consulting for both the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

“But he had a bigger dream for Nigeria. So, when General Ibrahim Babangida started his ill-fated transition programme, Dr. Eleazu threw his political hat into the ring.”

“I did so many other things during the military regimes and I had got enough experience to run the country.

I was in the team that wrote the original Social Democratic Party (SDP) manifesto from which I developed my own personal
manifesto.

“I had looked at other leaders of the world, so I thought I should go into
politics. And I didn’t want any other thing except to be president so that I would
be able to do exactly what I think this country required,” he reminisced in an interview four years ago.

Anya-Ndi-Igbo said the elder statesman from Ohafia, in Abia State, was among the last of a vanishing breed of patriotic, honest, compassionate Nigerians that still lay stock on the pristine human values of
respect, justice, integrity, and responsibility.

“A national icon, community and
religious leader, whose ability to mentor the younger generation is unmatchable, Dr. Eleazu at 95, is a national treasure, an encyclopedia of sorts and conscience of the nation.

“On a day like this, we – members and leadership of Anya-Ndi-Igbo – “felicitate our Board of Trustees’ Chair.” While thanking God, who in His infinite goodness has preserved him thus far, we pray for continued sustenance in good health.