Just In: Pro Democracy Activist, Chukwuma to Be Buried May 13 in Imo State
Just In: Pro Democracy Activist, Chukwuma to Be Buried May 13 in Imo State.
The front line Civil Society and Pro Democracy Activist, Innocent Chukwuma is to be buried on May 13 in Imo State, Nigeria.
Arrangements have been concluded by the family, friends, comrades and associates of the late revolutionary symbol of the Nigerian Civil Society, Founder of Cleen Foundation and immediate past Country Director and West African Director of the Ford Foundation, Comrade Innocent Chukwuma to give the late freedom fighter a befitting burial.
This was disclosed in a press release issued by the Secretary, Civil Society Memorial Committee, Comrade AWA Bamiji and made available to the newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
“The remains of Innocent Chukwuma would be accorded last respects in Abuja, Lagos and Enugu, before his body will be finally laid to rest at his hometown, Mbaise in Imo State, according to the Widow, Comrade (Mrs) Josephine Chukwuma”, Bamiji said.
Bamiji further revealed that, “Like the late Yinka Odumakin and his wife, the Chukwumas as a couple also met on the field of struggles and within 4 months, they got married and the matrimonial journey had been so blissful, eventful and highly promising, with each one of them always having the back of another in times of need.
“Ironically, it was Comrade Chukwuma, who painfully announced the death of his good Comrade of decades in the Nigerian democratic Struggles, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, to his wife, Josephine, telling her how he read the post which he got from a friend living in America around 12pm on his sick bed at the Hospital, in Lagos”, he stated.
“At about 6:30pm same Friday, he too was gone as confirmed by his Doctors. What a mystery?”, Bamiji rhetorically asked.
“The two Comrades were age mate, their wives are named Joe and they met their Wives on the field of Nigerian democratic Struggles with these two industrious women being the Civil Society Leaders in their different spheres.
“Innocent and Josephine met in October, 1996 and between January and February, 1997, they had concluded their wedding arrangement and were married for 24 years with 3 grown up Children. The first born is a female and she is already a Lawyer.
“He had already purchased a return ticket for the April 6 trip to Oxford University, London, where he planned to stay for 3 months to write his Autobiography, before this painful death struck on Friday, 2 April 2021.
“The solidarity visit to his widow which was the 2nd leg of the earlier one paid to Dr Joe Okei – Odumakin, paraded eminent Activists like Barrister Femi Falana, SAN, Barrister Muhammed Gani Fawehinmi; and Leaders of various Civil Society and Pro Democracy Groups in Nigeria led by the Chairman, Civil Society Movement Memorial Committee for Yinka Odumakin and Innocent Chukwuma, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi.
“Comrade Innocent Chukwuma will be buried on Thursday May 13th, 2021, in his home at Umuodia Village in Mpam, Ahiazu LGA of Imo State, however, the Civil Society and Pro Democracy Movement will hold a tribute day in his honour on Tuesday, 10th May, 2021 in Lagos” Bamiji concluded.
