OJUKWU TO BE BURIED IN AMERICAN GOLD CASKET

The late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu would be buried in an American gold mixed with bronze casket. Ojukwu’s widow, Bianca, who is in London to begin preparations for bringing back the corpse of the departed Biafran warlord told Saturday Sun that the make-up of the casket was to depict the simple nature of Ojukwu when he was alive.
She disclosed that the customised casket has the family crest and the family coat of arms.

Asked how Ojukwu wanted to be buried, Bianca said that besides making specific request that his body be taken to Aba, in Abia State, he did not as such set other standards, though he was in love with the Roman army.
“Therefore, I would want that he be laid out as a Roman General. You know he was in love with the army and had loved Roman Generals. Therefore, he would be laid out as a Roman General,” she said.

Bianca said that she moved to London well ahead of burial committee members to enable her clear the customised casket.
With the casket cleared, Bianca said that they are looking forward to a requiem mass to be organised in honour of Ojukwu today at the St George’s Cathedral in London by the Igbo community in the United Kingdom, which would be followed by an all-night wake-keep.

Tomorrow, she said they would begin the journey back home, with a brief stopover in Abuja on Monday, where a brief military ceremony would be held for Ojukwu by the Nigerian Army.
She thanked the Nigerian High Commission for the role the commissioner and his deputy played in London, saying that help from the Igbo living in London has been amazing, as everybody wanted to play one role or the other.
Meanwhile, the Ojukwu burial committee arrived London yesterday morning. Some of those who travelled are National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh; former Minister Health Prof A. B. Nwosu and Senator Uche Chukwumerije. Also, there are officials of Anambra State government in the team.

In a related development, Enugu State government yesterday said it was ready to receive the remains of Ojukwu slated to arrive in the Coal City on February 28, as well as set to play host to President Goodluck Jonathan and other guests who would arrive in the city on March 1.
Ojukwu’s corpse would arrived Sam Mbakwe Airport, from Abuja on Monday, from where it would be carried in an helicopter to Owerri-Aba Road, where a cart driven by a horse would take his body round some major streets in Owerri metropolis before heading for the newly built Hero’s Square in new Owerri.
In Enugu, the programme of activities for the burial released by the state Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the burial, Dr Eric Oluedo, showed that the body of Ojukwu would arrive at the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu on Tuesday and received by Governor Sullivan Chime, members of the national and state assemblies, members of the federal and state executive councils, local government chairmen, traditional rulers, Igbo elders, the clergy and among others.
According to the committee, a Requiem Mass would be celebrated in honour of the departed Igbo leader at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu on Wednesday February 29, by 10 am.

“This will be followed by an evening of tributes also in his honour at the Enugu Sports Club. Finally, on Thursday 1st of March, 2012, the body will arrive the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu by 10:30 a.m for a ceremony to be graced by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as well as other top government functionaries and prominent Nigerians from across the country,” the committee said.
The committee also said that the remains of Ojukwu would after the Okpara Square ceremony depart Enugu for Awka, Anambra State en route his hometown Nnewi for interment on March 2.-SATURDAY SUN