Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has described the late author
of the novelette, ‘Eze goes to school’, and the pioneer General Manager
of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Onuora Nzekwu, as an
embodiment of excellence, humility and hard work.
He said the renowned author, would be remembered for his remarkable
unequivocal endorsement of the universal principle of hard work and
tenacity for the actualisation of great goals and ambitions.
Speaking during Nzekwu’s burial at the weekend in his Onitsha home, the
commercial city of Anambra State, Obiano said Onuora through his books,
projected the African identity to an alien civilization.
“He was a writer with an insight that affirms the eternal truth of his
convictions; he was one of the unassuming but great talents that molded
many lives on the studious path to self-actualization.
“An illustrious son of Onitsha, Onuora was a generation of writers that
projected the African identity about studiousness and its relation to an
alien civilization.” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of News Agency of Nigerian (NAN),
Mr Bayo Onanuga, described Nzekwu as a “national hero, who bestrodeed
NAN firmament like the colossus that he was.”
Onanuga, who was represented by Mrs. Kate Popoola, NAN Head of Lagos
Operations, said Nzekwu charted the course of NAN’s future glory to
build Africa’s biggest news agency.
“The NAN, he nurtured, is still standing till date and the Federation of
Nigeria had rightly honoured him with the Order of the Niger (OON)
prestigious merit award.
“While he was the MD, Lagos which was the headquarters then, won’t get
their salaries until everybody in the outstation had been paid their
salaries and entitlements.”
Nzekwu who co-authored ‘Eze goes to school’ with Michael Crowder, died at the age of 89.
