The immediate past Provost of Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu, Dr Philips Nto has described the death of Prof Joe Irukwu as a great loss to young Nigerian scholars.
He said the late insurance guru and consummate academic was always passionate in assisting young scholars in realizing their dreams in academics.
Dr Nto who described himself as a beneficiary of Prof Irukwu’s large heartedness , recalled when the former president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo obliged him to deliver a lecture at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, umudike.
” When I was Deputy Director for Centre for Gender and Child Development at Michael Okpara University, I invited him to deliver a lecture and he accepted because he believed in assisting the young ones to climb the ladder of success”, he recalled.
Nto also recalled that Prof Irukwu accepted an honorary doctorate degree from the same University through him, and regretted that death could not allow him realize the research centre he promised the institution at the occasion.
The former Provost noted that apart from being a national and international figure, Prof Irukwu never forgot his root,hence he rallied other notable Abians for the appointment of an Abia son as the current Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, umudike.
According to Nto, ” when it became obvious that some forces didn’t want an Abia son as VC, I cried out to him and he rallied other notable Abians including Gen Ike Nwachukwu,Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe to make it possible for Prof M O Iwe to be appointed. So his death is also a personal loss to me”.
Dr Nto however said he is consoled by the fact that Prof Irukwu left many enduring legacies which will serve as a reminder to the great man that he was .
He called on the Abia State state government to immortalise the late professor as an encouragement to those
who are devoted to serving Abia faithfully.
Dr Nto while condoling the immediate family of Prof Irukwu for the passage of the icon,he prayed God to grant his soul an eternal rest.