The Ukegbu family of Amafor Imerienwe in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State has formally announced the burial date of their beloved patriarch, elder statesman, and nationalist, late Dr Basil Nnanna Ukegbu.
In a statement jointly signed by Mr Hector Ukegbu and Dr Philip Ukegbu on behalf of the family, they disclosed that the remains of the elder statesman will be laid to rest on December 30, 2025, at his country home in Amafor, Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala.
The statement read: “The family of the late Dr Basil Nnanna Ukegbu, in collaboration with the Imerienwe Autonomous Community, hereby formally announces the burial date of our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, patriarch, brother, leader, and statesman. The burial will take place on 30 December 2025 at his country home in Amafor, Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Imo State. Family, friends, mentees, political associates, and the general public are warmly invited to join us in celebrating the life and legacy of this remarkable statesman.”
Born in August 1929, Dr Ukegbu served as a Federal Parliamentarian (1959–1966) in Lagos and was Chief Whip (1965–1966) for the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), which was then a ruling coalition partner in the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was also the governorship candidate of the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) in Imo State during the 1979 general election.
The family described him as a distinguished educationist and visionary who earned a PhD in Economic History from the University of London. He founded Owerri Grammar School (OGS), Imerienwe, in 1958 and later established TEDEM and Dorothy Colleges, also in Imerienwe.
In 1982, he established Nigeria’s—and Africa’s—first private university, Imo Technical University. Dr Ukegbu won a landmark decision at the Nigerian Supreme Court in 1983. This judgment paved the way for the massive growth experienced today in the establishment of private university education in Nigeria.
Widely respected for his fiscal prudence, personal discipline, and steadfast commitment to probity in public service, Dr Ukegbu was known as a fearless defender of the marginalised, a grassroots activist, and a tireless advocate of democratic rule.
In his lifetime, Dr Basil Nnanna Ukegbu was not only a national political leader but also a devoted family man, a pillar of his community, and a philanthropist. His contributions to his former Owerri Southeast National Constituency—covering Ngor Okpala LGA and parts of Aboh Mbaise LGA—and to Nigeria at large, remain indelible.
A series of events have been planned to honour the late elder statesman. Further details of the funeral programme will be announced in due course by the National Burial Committee, which is working closely with the family and the Imo State Government to ensure that Dr Ukegbu’s life of service and legacy are fittingly celebrated.
