From From Magnus Eze, Enugu
In continuation of the ‘handshake across the Niger’ project, a strong delegation of Igbo and Yoruba leaders, yesterday, paid condolence visits to the families of Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin and frontline civil society actor, Innocent Chukwuma, who both passed on recently.
The joint-team, led by the Chairman of Board of Trustees of Nzuko Umunna, Pat Utomi, and former minister of State for Defence, Modupe Adelaja, commiserated with the two families.
Utomi said Odumakin played a pivotal role as one of the facilitators of the ‘Handshake across the Niger’ conference, an initiative of Nzuko Umunna which was jointly hosted by Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Afenifere.
He said the conference was “instrumental in rekindling the bond of brotherhood between Ndigbo and their Yoruba brethren,” adding that this would go down in history as one of the many laudable contributions of Odumakin to peace-building and national development.
At the home of Chukwuma, foremost member of Nzuko Umunna, Utomi described him as a towering figure in Nigeria’s human rights community, adding that his exploits, especially during the volatile military era, would remain indelible in the annals of Nigeria’s history.
He said Chukwuma would be “sorely missed not only by Nzuko Umunna but by lovers of freedom and development,” due to his invaluable contributions as a strategic thinker and activist.
Adelaja said the death of the activists has revived the spirit of brotherhood and cooperation between the Igbo and Yoruba people, adding that this was one of their greatest legacies as nationalists.