Old students of the King’s College, Lagos, have begun preparations for the March 2, burial of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The preparations kicked off at the Lagos secretariat of the association yesterday with a press briefing in which members of the association recalled fond memories of the late Ojukwu.
Mr. Hakeem Belo-Osagie, president of the association, went down the memory lane to reminisce on Ojukwu. He read a brief biography of the late Biafra warlord, pointing the influence his two-year education in King’s college had on him.
Noting that the school’s philosophy of training leaders provided the impetus for Ojukwu’s personality later in life.

Belo-Osagie said: “ By all accounts, the young Chukwuemeka was a very intense and strong individual from the outset. Despite being an average of four to six years younger than his classmates, he held his own in every aspect of school life. The residence of Sir Louis Phillipe Odumegwu-Ojukwu, his father, was at Oshodi Court, a few minutes’ walk from King’s College. Being amongst the richest West Africans of his time, he encouraged his son to entertain his friends and colleagues. I am informed by Chief Ojukwu’s contemporaries at King’s College that he was the most hospitable and convivial of his time.”

Belo-Osagie’s address was read by a four-time minister of the federal republic of Nigeria and close friend of the late Ojukwu, Chief Kalu Idika Kalu, who also described Ojukwu as a “genial and very detribalized patriot, who was pushed to declare the independent state of Biafra at the time he did, just because of his patriotic zeal for the country and his people, the Igbos.”
Vice President of the association, Mr. Edo Ukpom, also poured encomiums on Ojukwu. He urged government to immortalize him.

He also charged present students of the school to emulate the patriotic attributes in Ojukwu. Others who were part of the press briefing include Otunba Dele Olakiniyo, host, Mr. Kola Kuselure and Mr. Ayo Lesile among others who equally poured encomiums on Ojukwu.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2012/feb/24/national-24-02-2012-005.htm