There was a solemn atmosphere at Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State as family members of renowned academic, Isawa Elaigwu, a political science professor, gathered to bid him farewell on Friday.
Governor Hyacinth Alia extolled the virtues of the deceased teacher who until his passing was President of the Institute of Governance and Social Research, and Professor Emeritus (Political Science), University of Jos.
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Mr Elaigwu, 77, passed away on 22 July in Jos, Plateau State.
Tributes pour in
In a condolence message at Mr Elaigwu’s funeral service on Friday, Mr Alia described the deceased as an “illustrious son” of the state and “a tall figure in the academic world.”
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He noted that the famed professor of political science made his mark in nation-building through “teaching, research, public lectures and publications.”
“We will remember him for his integrity, intellectual brilliance, and commitment to the unity of our nation,” the governor said.
Similarly, the deputy governor of the state, Sam Ode, represented by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Edeh Ogwuche, said the deceased left an indelible mark in the academia, “shaping minds and informing policies rooted in justice, equity and altruism.”
“As a distinguished scholar of political science and international relations, his voice resonated in academic halls, policy fora, inspiring countless individuals to pursue excellence, integrity and service,” Mr Ode said.
In his funeral oration, the deputy governor recalled the late scholar’s contributions in bridging the gap between the tiers of government, aimed at deepening federalism.
As Mr Elaigwu’s casket laid at the Isawa Memorial Academy at Otukpo, a high school he founded as symbol of his legacy in knowledge production, the immediate-past deputy governor of Benue, Benson Abounu, said the late academic inspired him and generations of scholars to pursue their dreams.
“We were looking up to Professor Elaigwu because of his academic brilliance. He contributed to the development of federalism in Nigeria, particularly during the military government of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,” he recalled.
The officiating minister at the funeral service, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church in Benue State, Joshua Ngbede, urged Christians to imbibe the virtues of love and forgiveness which Christ embodied.
The cleric lauded Mr Elaigwu for his life of service and integrity.
He urged mourners and sympathisers at the funeral service to recommit their lives to the promotion of peace and development of Nigeria.
Students mourn
One of the highlights of the event was a rendition by students of the Isawa Memorial Academy depicting Mr Elaigwu as their hero.
The students dressed in their colourful uniforms, lined the hilly way to the academy as pallbearers conveyed the remains of the deceased in a brown casket to the funeral grounds.
As Mr Elaigwu’s remains were being interred in the precinct of the school in accordance with the deceased’s death wish, the distraught students watched from the school balconies, while the professor’s grieving children and relatives wept uncontrollably.
The national burial committee of the late Elaigwu, led by Sunday Ochoche, a professor, received dignitaries including Ejembi Eko; a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Monday Morgan, a retired air vice-marshal, and academics from the University of Jos, where the deceased lived much of academic life.
Nights of tributes were earlier held in the deceased’s honour in Abuja and Jos where former Nigerian Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and two ex-Senate Presidents – David Mark and Iyorchia Ayu, paid glowing tributes to Professor Elaigwu for the remarkable life he lived.
At the event in Abuja, daughter of the deceased, Victoria Elaigwu, described him as an “accomplished international scholar who mentored several younger scholars.”
“He taught us the values of hard work, integrity, and compassion, leading by example in everything he did. His legacy is one of patriotism, resilience, kindness and unyielding love.
“We will carry his memory in our hearts forever,” she said.
Born in 1948, Mr Elaigwu served as a teacher, researcher and adviser to successive governments in Nigeria.
He was globally recognised for his expertise in federalism, political stability, and democratic governance.
Mr Elaigwu was an alumnus of the Ahmadu Bello University, and the University of Stanford.
