President Muhammadu Buhari has renamed the Federal University, Ndufu-Ikwo, Ebonyi State to Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State.
Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo announced this during the burial service of the former vice president at St John, The Divine Church, Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He said the honour is in recognition of Ekwueme’s contributions to nation building.
Meanwhile, one of the sons of the late Ekwueme, Chike Ekwueme, has provided more insights into the life of the former politician.
Chike, who is a Managing Partner of Ekwueme & Ekwueme, a Lagos based legal firm, said his father’s legacy and his lifestyle affected the children as they were not allowed to enjoy the luxury of being the children of a Vice President.
Vanguard quoted Chike as saying: “You don’t know my father. He was principled and extremely strict. He didn’t give us his children that leeway.
“I was in primary school and he would call us every day to take our pocket money, a crisp one naira note. In fact, I cannot remember whether the one naira note was for a week or a day.
“But I remember that by the time you buy sweet, chewing gum and ice cream at Ikoyi Club, the whole pocket money is gone. We were not living the way that people imagined. He made us very sober.
“But we were awed by the fact that our father was a great man and you are exposed to a lot of things.
“You walk into the corridors of power with all those security men everywhere and you will be treated like a prince. But my father was a humble man inside. There was no puffing up. My father didn’t allow that.”