The representative of the Ideato North State Constituency, at the Imo state House of Assembly Mr Arthur Egwim, has died after being flown abroad for treatment.

A statement signed by Speaker of the house, Mr Emeka Nduka (APC Ehime Mbano), confirmed Egwim’s death.

A report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Nduka as describing Egwim as “a ranking parliamentarian of note and a strong voice at the assembly”.

The speaker further noted that his death will create a vacuum in the house as he was one of the house’s “finest and best brains” and prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul, NAN said.

Egwim, according to a local portal, Okeomanews, “fell ill recently and underwent surgery but died afterwards” on Monday night, March 27, 2023.

It quoted an unnamed source as confiding that the lawmaker, a lawyer by profession, died of a cancer-related ailment.

The source was quoted as saying: “They just broke the bad news to us this afternoon. He was flown abroad but he couldn’t make. Money wasn’t the problem. The state government greatly assisted him to travel abroad for his medicals. It is very sad.”

Late Honourable Arthur Egwim was first elected into the Imo State House of Assembly in 2015 on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) and served as a chief whip of the house. He was re-elected in 2019 on the platform of Action Alliance.

Egwim was the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election but lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ugochinyere Ikenga.

Before his entry into politics, Egwim, a native of Ideato North Local Government Area, was a community leader, international businessman and a lawyer.

He was the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Public Accounts. He was also the House Committee Chairman on Chieftaincy Affairs and Autonomous Communities and House Committee Chairman on Judiciary.

Egwim was the President-General of his community, Isiokpo Autonomous Community.

He was also Chairman Isiokpo Town Union Lagos Branch; Chairman, Ekeasomba Age Grade Isiokpo; Vice Chairman, Alade Residents Association, Allen Ikeja; President, Awareness Club of Nigeria, Ibadan Oyo State. He was Member, Nigerian bar Association (NBA) Ikeja; Vice Chairman, African Caribbean Dispute Resolution Association, East London; Patron, Isiokpo United Brothers Club Nigeria; and Member, Dynamic Club of Isiokpo.

Egwim held several chieftaincy titles, among them Ekerin Bashorun of Ibadan, and Jagunmolu of Epe Ijesha, Jagunmolu of Ogba Lagos, Akaraugo of Umuna Imo State, Nze DURU Akuabata of Isiokpo, Owelle of Obodoukwu, and Ide Dim Onwa Gburugburu of Isiokpo Ideato.

Until his death, he was the principal Partner, Innocent Egwim & CO (Akuabata Chambers) Adeniyi Jones Ikeja-Lagos; Partner, Supreme Solicitors, Kingsland High Road, London; Director, Sabina Hotels Abuja; Director, Akuj Farms, Wakajaiye Ibadan; Director, Arthur Holdings Limited, Ikeja-Lagos; and Director, Sabina Investment Limited, Oke Bola Ibadan.

His academic qualifications are Ph.D Law (in view) University of Lagos; BL, Nigeria Law School; LLM, University of East London; Diploma in Criminology, University of East London; SSCE, Immaculate Conception Seminary Ahiaeke Umuahia; FLC, Ibeku Central Primary School, Umuahia.

He was married with wives and children. Some of his children are also parents.

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