Revealed: Nnamdi Azikiwe's Mausoleum Still Not Completed 21 Years After His Death

Zik’s mausoleum under construction 

 

According to a Vanguard report, the mausoleum of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Owelle of Onitsha) embarked upon by the Federal Government as the final resting place for the first President of Nigeria and founding father of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is yet to be completed 21 years after his death.Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe (Obi of Onitsha), made this known at the 57th Founder’s Day lecture of University of Nigeria, Nsukka held at Princess Alexandra Auditorium (PAA) of the universty.

 

He said that efforts of successive administrations in the country to complete the mausoleum at his Zik’s country home in Onitsha, was appalling and appealed for urgent measures to complete it.

 

The monarch said it was not encouraging that 21 years after the death of Zik, the mausoleum earlier embarked upon by successive administrations in the country, was yet to be completed as the final resting place of the first president of the country.

 

“Zik, the first Premier of Eastern Nigeria, first President of Nigeria and founder of the University of Nigeria, yet the mausoleum in his honour is yet to be completed by the Federal Government that offered and started the project in memory of the fallen hero. I urge Nigerians to help pressure government to complete the mausoleum in Zik’s honour as the first President of the country,” he noted.

 

Igwe Achebe who was the chairman of the 57th day lecture delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka, Rev. Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, noted that he was humbled that the university insituted the Founder’s Day lecture to honour founding fathers most especially the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

 

In an interview with the wife of the late Zik, Prof. Mrs Uche Azikiwe, she said remembering the mausoleum  hurts the entire family as they keep wondering whether it is still for the first President, first Governor-General, the first Senate President of this country.

 

“I do always try whenever new President comes to power since 1999, to go to the Minister of Works or whoever is incharge of such project to ask and appeal for the completion of the mausoleum. It is disheartening that somebody like Zik is being treated this way. The successive ministers keep promising but nothing has been done. You know the Nigerian factor and at times they will award the contract, but certainly later abandon it.

 

“Former minister, Mrs. Pepple did a very good job there. She promised that as long as she was still the minister; the mausoleum will be completed. She awarded the contract but was later removed.”

 

She appealed to the present administration to complete the mausoleum in honour of the late president.

 

“If you go to Ghana, you will see what the Ghananian government did for Nkrumah. If the Federal Government dosen’t want to complete the project, they should tell us so that the family can run around to see what they can do to complete the project and give the late President a final resting place,” she said.

 

The mausoleum was the right of the late Zik.

 

Nigeria should accord him that right and complete the mausoleum as his final resting place.