The national leadership of the Oko Peoples Union, Nigeria on Tuesday declared that the Eke market will be shut on November 30, 2017 as a mark of respect for their departed hero and the former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, who died Sunday evening in London.

According to a community leader, Mr Ernest Nwosu, the closure of the market would also affect shops and businesses of Oko people across the globe. He said every Oko person resident anywhere in the world has been mandated to observe a sit-at-home on that day.

Nwosu said the community, led by the Oko Peoples Union's National President, Chief Cyprian Ik Nwanmuo, in company of the leader of Umuada, Mrs Maureen Uzoegbunam, and Legal Adviser of the union, Barroster Uchenna Okonkwo Okom, decided on that after it met with the family of late Ekwueme. The meeting was attended by youths, Ndiichie, women and youths.

The family house was however deserted earlier in the day as only security men were on guard. But the community later visited and joined the Igwe of Oko, Prof Laz Ekwueme in the mourning.

At the family meeting were the wife of the late elder-statesman, Lady Edith Ekwueme, her daughter, Dr Mrs. Ada Ekwueme-Onuora, and the son of the first monarch of the community, Engr. Mike Ekwueme

They refused to speak to the monarch, but the monarch addressed his people and accepted their visit and condolences.

Meanwhile, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has described Ekwueme's death as a colossal loss to Nigeria and Ndigbo.

In a statement on Tuesday in Awka, signed by the National Director of Information, Comrade Edison Samuel said the people of southeast would miss the former Vice President.

He said no honour was given to Ekwueme by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 16 year-rule of the party at the federal level despite being its founding father.

The reason for such anomaly, according to MASSOB, was because Ekwueme was an Igbo man.

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