By Ovat Abeng
A leader from Akpu community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Engr. Innocent Ike-Ibe, has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to immortalize the late former Chairman of the National Election Commission (now the Independent National Electoral Commission), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, as a result of his contributions to the electoral development of the country.
Ike-Ibe made the called in an interview with Journalists in Awka on Monday.
The Paradise News had earlier reported that Prof Nwosu died at the age of 83 in Virginia, USA, after a brief illness.
Nwosu, who conducted the June 12, 1993 election annulled by former President Ibrahim Babangida, served as Chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993.
He hailed from Ajali community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Speaking further on the development, Chief Ike-Ibe, said concerned stakeholders from Orumba North and South Council Areas of the State, where late Nwosu hailed from have started agitating for that before the unfortunate incident happened.
According to him, before the former INEC boss join his ancestors, we have already started agitating for his immortalization.
“We will write officially to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to informed him respectively about the development.
It will be unfair and marginalized politically, if the Nigeria Government failed to honour him, for the transparent role he played over the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest that lead to the victory of Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
“We expect his friend, General Ibrahim Babangida, if though, the outcome of the June 12 election separated them as at that time, he should also advocate for Prof Nwosu immortalization, Ike-Ibe noted.
Also speaking, the President General of Akpu Progressive Union, High Chief Emmanuel Nwankwo, argued that it would be nice that a man of such stature and status should be immortalised for life by naming an institution or national event centre after him anywhere in Nigeria.
While appealing to the Government to immortalized Prof Nwosu without any further agitations, the President General described him as a man of integrity, nationalist and an upright man whose legacies all should build on for a progressive and prosperous nation.