Former VP Ekwueme Dies @85
BY RALPH ONYEKACHUKWU, ENUGU – Former Vice President Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme on Sunday passed on peacefully at the age of 85, according to his family.
In a press statement signed by his younger brother who is the Igwe of Oko, Professor Laz Ekwueme, “The Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON. The sad event occurred at The London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.”
Dr. Ekwueme was flown to London exactly a week ago after taking ill three weeks ago at his Enugu home.
Born on October 21, 1932, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (GCON) was the first elected Vice-President of Nigeria from 1979 to 1983. He served with President Shehu Shagari on the platform of the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
He was the Ide of the Oko kingdom in Anambra State, where his younger brother Prof Lazarus Ekwueme, reigns as the traditional ruler. In his lifetime, the Council of Traditional Rulers in the old Aguata honoured him as the Ide of Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State consisting of forty-four (44) towns.
The late Vice President had his primary education at St John’s Anglican Central School, at Ekwulobia, from where he proceeded to King’s College, Lagos. As an awardee of the Fulbright Scholarship in the United States of America (being one of the first Nigerians to gain the award), Alex attended the University of Washington where he earned bachelor’s degree in Architecture and city planning.
Dr Ekwueme’s master’s degree was in urban planning, even as he also had degrees in sociology, history, philosophy and law from the University of London. Later, he obtained a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Strathclyde, before gaining the BL (honours) degree from the Nigerian Law School.
A distinguished architect, who started his professional career as an Assistant Architect with a Seattle-based firm, Leo A. Daly and Associates, Ekwueme also worked with London-based firm Nickson and Partners. On returning to Nigeria, he joined ESSO West Africa, Lagos, overseeing the Construction and Maintenance department.
He was quite successful in creating a private business with his firm – Ekwueme Associates, Architects and Town Planners, the first indigenous architectural firm in Nigeria. Flourishing with 16 offices spread all over Nigeria, the practice wound up in preparation for his assumption of office as Nigeria’s first executive Vice President.
Ekwueme presided over the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria and remained as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Institute of Architects until his death.
