By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Reactions have continued to trail the death of Ohanaeze President-General, Prof. George Obiozor, who passed away in the early hours of December 26, 2022, after a heart-related disease. The latest is coming from former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Simon. N. Okeke, and eminent scholar, Prof. Echefuna' R. G. Onyebeadi.

Okeke in a statement made available to News Express lamented that death has robbed Ndigbo and Nigeria at large of a rare genius; the most charming, warm and diplomatic diplomat, adding that it will be difficult to find someone who can swim so freely through turbulent, social and diplomatic waters and emerge with Obiozor's kind of captivating humour and candour.

Okeke said: “Death has robbed Ndigbo and Nigeria of a rare genius; a most charming, warm and diplomatic diplomat.

"It is difficult to find someone who can swim so freely through turbulent, social and diplomatic waters and emerge with such captivating humour and candour.

"At last, the probability that Amb. Prof. George Obiozor might have passed on has now become a reality, after several days of such ominous speculations hovering in the air uncontrollably. Undoubtedly, Amb. George put up a brave fight against this oddity called death but it has now got the upper hand."

Going down memory in his tribute to the late chieftain titled, “Tribute to our Fallen Hero Amb. Prof. George A. Obiozor, CON, Okeke” said: “I first met this brilliant diplomat sometime in 1982 in the company of Dr Chuba Okadigbo, one of the most charismatic politicians of his era. This was in the course of my executing an assignment from former Vice President, late Dr A. I. Ekwueme, GCON to source for funds to hire a plane to bring back General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu home from his exile in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. After gathering the funds, Alex directed that I should hand them over to Dr Chuba Okadigbo.

"It was when I handed the funds over, that Chuba, visibly excited with what I handed to him, introduced George to me as his Special Assistant. From then till his demise, George and I became both close friends and brothers.

"For the 40-odd years we had been close friends, I can’t remember ever seeing George in a moody or solemn moment, both on the telephone line or meeting him physically. He was ever warm and full of jokes and banters. Discussing academic or political issues, you find George ever at his best, linking the current issues with copious references to world-class authorities that would nail the subject matter head-on.

"Anybody meeting and discussing any subject matter with George would heave a sigh of relief that indeed, here is a truly erudite professor of all learnings – Philosophy, Logic, International Policies and Diplomacy, even Theology, Metaphysics. George stood tall as a master.

"I recall with nostalgia some of his usual remarks and parlances such as Nigeria’s Survival being on “precarious balance” or his often-quoted advice of Atilla the Hun that we must “choose our enemies wisely and our friends carefully” Better still, his often-quoted warning statement to Nigeria with regard to the unmitigated injustice to Ndigbo that “throughout history, those denied justice have had no interest in peace and that people need peace but not peace of the graveyard” and “that people need unity but not unity of masters and slaves”.

"Death has robbed Ndigbo and Nigeria a rare genius; a most charming, warm and diplomatic diplomat. It is difficult to find someone who can swim so freely through turbulent, social and diplomatic waters and emerge with such captivating humour and candour.

"It is regrettable, if not frightening that the pool of tough Igbo leadership is fast depleting. But God knows best for He gives and He takes away in His own time. George lived a very fulfilled life and died a General of Diplomacy and knowledge, friend to all and malice to none all through the period of 40 years we were friends.

“May his great soul Rest in the Bossom of the Lord.”

On his part, by Prof. Onyebeadi said in statement titled, “My Little Tribute To An Outstandingly, Distinguished, Enigmatic, Diplomat, Late Ambassador Professor George Obiozor CON”, "Our indomitable and erudite Ochendo Gburugburu, Chief Simon N. Okeke OFR, you have said it all.

He said that Nigeria and humanity have indeed lost a very rare gem of inestimable value, a quintessential and cerebral genius with a dignified and disarming humility in an aristocratic carriage.

He added: "Ambassador Professor George Obiozor CON was a veritable colossus and an iconic enigma whose contributions to the general good of humanity are immeasurable!

"Professor George Obiozor was an embodiment of intellectual resource and a personification of amity, who had his unique ways of making very complex and complicated matters look ordinary with his ease of reaching solutions.

"There is no doubt that Professor George Obiozor has left indelible footprints on the soil of time in every place he passed through on earth.

"May God Almighty grant his family, friends, associates and all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ!

"May the soul of Professor George Obiozor find eternal rest and peace with his Creator in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ!"