By CHUKS EKE
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uche Okafor and some other lawmakers have expressed shock over the sudden death of the lawmaker, representing Awka South Constituency One in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr Nnamdi Okafor.
Okafor, fondly called ‘Akajiugo Awka’, was the Majority Leader of the House.
He was said to have slumped and died in the early hours of Wednesday in a hotel at Sandton City, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he and some of the state’s lawmakers have gone for legislative retreat.
It was gathered that the deceased was attending a statutory training session of members of Anambra State House of Assembly.
A source said the retreat had ended, but while some of the lawmakers travelled to other countries like the United States to continue with their vacation as they were on a two-month recess, the deceased stayed back in South Africa and was billed to travel back to Nigeria through the Ethiopian Airlines.
Okafor’s death will be the second one after the lawmaker representing the Aguata Two Constituency, Okechukwu Okoye was kidnapped and subsequently killed by yet-to-be-identified assailants in May.
Soludo described the deceased lawmaker as an active participant at the Seventh Assembly who devoted his time and energy to represent his constituency.
The governor said the lawmaker will be sorely missed.
He said, “It is shocking that the state Assembly lost another lawmaker to the cold hands of death, coming barely three months after the demise of the lawmaker representing Aguata Two Constituency, Okechukwu Okoye.
“Dr Nnamdi Okafor was an active participant at the Seventh Assembly who devoted his time and energy to represent his constituency. He will be sorely missed.
“On behalf of Anambra State Government, may I use this medium to convey my sympathy to those he left behind, including his family, Awka Constituency One and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Uche Okafor as well as other lawmakers.
“Indeed, life is ephemeral. May the living continue to reflect on the essence of life and live for the good of the society like Okafor did.”
The speaker on his part, said the news of the death of the lawmaker came to them as a rude shock
He stated this in a press statement circulated to journalists in Awka.
He said, “Information available to us indicate that Hon. Okafor slumped and died in South Africa. The cause of his death is yet to be ascertained as we await the autopsy result.”
The speaker, on behalf of the state lawmakers commiserated with the wife and the family of the deceased and prayed God to grant the soul of Okafor eternal repose
Meanwhile, just like as it happened during the death of Okoye in May, the state lawmakers have refused to talk as the lawmaker representing the Onitsha South One Constituency, Uzoma Eli, said the lawmakers were still in shock and it’s not the right time to talk on the development.
According to a source in the Assembly, “I don’t know what really happened but from the information we gathered, Nnamdi Okafor was billed to travel back to Nigeria through the Ethiopian Airline last night.
“But when one of them, who left to go and buy food for himself and the deceased came back, they went to his hotel room and found him lying on the bathroom floor. They tried to get him to talk but he was not responding. I don’t know whether they took him to hospital but the information I got was that he is dead. That is the shocking news we all received.”
