Here are some interesting facts about the former Vice-president, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme who died on Saturday, 19th November 2017 at about 10:00pm at a London clinic.
He was born on the 21th of October 1993 in Oko, Orumba north local government of Anambra State.
His younger brother, Prof. Lazarus Ekwueme is the traditional ruler of the Oko kingdom where he (Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme) was the Ide of Oko kingdom.
Young Alex Ekwueme was among the first Nigerians to be awarded the Fullbright scholarship in the United States of America where he attended the University of Washington and earned bachelors degree in Architecture and City planning.
He was the first elected vice-president of Nigeria as well as the 5th Vice-president of Nigeria.
On his return to Nigeria in the 60s, He worked with ESSO West Africa, Lagos. He went on to establish his own private firm - Ekwueme Associates and Town Planners, this became the first indigenous Architectural firm in Nigeria.
He was ones the Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria.
He was a member of the Economic Community of West Africa states (ECOWAS) Council of Elders.
He has served as an election observer and on different monitoring team to different African Countries such as Zimbabwe(2000) Tanzania(2000) Liberia(2005) most recently he was called upon by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to head the reconciliation committee in the wake of intra-party discord and after the recent presidential election - He was honoured with the order of the Republic of Guinea and Nigeria, the second highest national honours of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)
He is the benefactor and patron of the ''Alex Ekwueme Foundation'' through which he has helped so many youths including women and children.
Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme's famous proposals at the national constitutional conference (NCC) for a just and equitable power sharing in Nigeria based on the six(6) geopolitical zones have now come to be accepted as necessary for maintaining a stable Nigeria.
Between 1993 - 1998, Dr. Alex Ekwueme mobilized the group of 34 Nigerians who went as far as risking their lives to stand up against the dictatorship of Gen. Sani Abacha during his reign of military in Nigeria.
Chibuike Egbo.
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