NIIA mourns late Ohanaeze leader, Obiozor

The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs has mourned the passing of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor.

The PUNCH had reported that the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, announced Obiozor’s death late Wednesday.

In a statement on Thursday, the NIIA mourned Obiozor, who served as the Director General of the organisation from 1991-1992.

The statement was signed by the current DG of NIIA, Professor Eghosa E. Osaghae, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.

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It partly read, “The Director-General of The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa E. Osaghae, on behalf of all past Directors-General, past and present Councils, Fellows, Management and Staff of the Institute, mourns the passage of H.E. Professor George Achulike Obiozor, CON, a foremost nationalist, scholar, administrator, diplomat, and global citizen.

“Professor was most recently the President-General of the apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze-Ndigbo, the capacity in which, as an advocate of equity and justice, he hosted his last major outing on the state of the nation at the NIIA.

“In this and other engagements of his eventful life, Professor Obiozor demonstrated an unalloyed zest for strengthening our capacity to actualize Nigeria’s manifest destiny as an African and global leader.

“Prof. Obiozor obtained a doctorate degree in International Relations in 1976 from the prestigious Columbia University, New York, USA, and was Director-General of the NIIA, Nigeria’s apex Foreign Policy think-tank in 1991-1999.”

Commiserating with the family, the statement added, “The NIIA Management and Staff identifies with the Obiozor family and our dear country Nigeria at this grieving time, even as we are consoled by the fact that Prof. Obiozor lived a life worthy of emulation as a scholar, diplomat, nationalist, elder statesman, and global citizen. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”