- * Why He Won't Be Buried In His Home Town Izombe, Near Oguta Town
By Gloria Acholonu (Imo State Correspondent, in Owerri)
Real Estate Investor and former Accountant General of Imo state, Mr Donald Ndubisi Igbo, who reportedly died of cardiac complications in March this year, will finally be laid to rest today (Friday, June 23) in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
Igbo, 57, was said to be ill prior to his demise. He hails from Umuorji in Izombe, a town under Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
A family funeral arrangements signed by his teenage son, Mr Donald Igbo (Jnr.), said the late former Accountant General will be buried in his village, Umuorji, in Izombe.
But on the contrary, NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper gathered from dependable sources that the deceased Donald Ndubisi Igbo senior will be committed to mother earth today in Owerri, as according to our sources, Izombe is currently a hot zone for the burial event of such local personality to hold now.
NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER also learnt from the reliable sources that the family, especially his wife and children, had insisted on his burial in Owerri town where Mr Igbo's widow incidentally came from.
Though, this not being the major reason for burying the deceased former top Imo civil servant in Owerri where he resides with his family, according to the sources, the reason was that Izombe, which is presently under strict military occupation (for security reasons), is seen as a base for the ubiquitous 'unknown gunmen' and other armed violent groups which had been operating in Orlu Senatorial axis and other parts of Imo state.
It is feared by the deceased's family that Mr Igbo's burial might be disrupted or marred with violence considering that he was a prominent indigene of the Izombe community.
According to the funeral plans, the body of late Donald Ndubisi Igbo (Snr.) will leave the Imo State Specialist Hospital Mortuary in Owerri by 9am today (Friday, June 23) in his final journey to eternity, to the Assemblies of God Church, Owerri District Headquarters, Umudibia, Nekede, for his funeral service. He will then be buried after church service at a cemetery or in the compound of one of his numerous properties in Owerri metropolis.
Already, friends, associates and family members from Abuja, PortHarcourt, Lagos and other cities in Nigeria have arrived Owerri on Thursday, June 22nd for the funeral of late Mr Donald Ndubisi Igbo who was said to be a Deacon at the Assemblies of God Church, Owerri, Imo State.
Death, unfortunately, snatched the former Imo State Accountant General from his friends and loved ones on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, an illustrious son of Izombe community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
Mr Igbo, a trained Accountant and a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, reportedly died at a public hospital in Owerri, Imo State capital, allegedly from complication of high blood pressure. The top retired Imo civil servant was also said to be severely battling with diabetes over the years. He was said to be married with three teenage daughters and young grown up sons.
The deceased was one of the prominent citizens and leading light of his Izombe community. He was said to have been engaged in elaborate philanthropic gestures in Izombe which has helped to lift some of the youths and rural community members out of poverty.
Dependable family source at Izombe had earlier in March this year confirmed to NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Correspondent that Mr Donald Igbo, had, indeed been ailing in the past few years owing to some alleged terminal health challenges.
He served as a Deputy Accountant-General in Imo state during the Ikedi Ohakim administration where he was said to have played a key role in the management of the finances of the state government. He also served under the administration of Senator Rochas Okorocha, who, at a point in the first tenure of his administration, sacked Mr Igbo allegedly over some unexplained "official issues".
He was allegedly brought back to his former position in the civil service in 2019 by the PDP administration of former governor Emeka Ihedioha as Accountant-General after the incumbent at the time was shooed out of his job by the State Government over some alleged differences.
But Mr Donald Igbo's era on the job was however short-lived, as he was again suspended from his job in early 2020 by the incumbent governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, over the alleged issue of Imo state Pensioner's retirement benefits and demand for payment. The governor subsequently appointed Obieze Chukwukama to take over from him.
While in suspension, however, the Imo government, it was learnt, announced the retirement of Mr Igbo from service in 2021. He was described by friends and acquaintances as a gentleman.
Mr Igbo was said to have gone into full time business since his retirement and specifically into real estate. He was also engaged in the church ministry activities being a Deacon in the Assemblies of God Church. His stupendous real estate property business is said to spread across Owerri, Abuja and Port Harcourt, just to mention a few. NNL.
