Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned what they call the disregard the Federal Government has for Igbo which made her unreceptive and diametrically opposed to any creative bent from Igboland, citing the abandonment of the innovative, scientific and far-reaching exploits of Ndigbo during the civil war as example.

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo, made the observation while mourning the death of foremost electrical engineer, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu who passed away last Friday in Abuja at  72 years of age.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo chief said Izuogu’s death was a huge loss for Igbo and Nigeria.

“The undeserved neglect of the Igbo by the Federal Government has cost the country the ingenuity of Igbo scientists that could have driven the nation’s technological advancement,” he said in a condolence message issued in Enugu, yesterday, by his media aide, Emeka Attamah.

He described the late Izuogu as an intellectual, researcher, scientist and accomplished politician.

Nwodo recalled that Dr. Izuogu had produced the first all-African car in 1997 with 97 per cent locally produced component, an achievement that would have made cars more affordable for Nigerians, but regretted that he had to die with his dreams.

He noted that Dr. Izuogu even as a scholar impacted positively on his students and remained a role model to them.

He, therefore, commiserated with the Imo State Government and its people for the irreparable loss and urged the Izuogu family to bear the loss with equanimity and faith in God.