Chike Obi, renowned Mathematician, buried

Okodili Ndidi, Onitsha - 04.05.2008

THE late Prof. Chike Obi, world-renowned mathematician, was yesterday buried in Onitsha, Anambra State. The burial ceremony, which was attended by famous Nigerians, including the President of the Federal republic, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, represented by Prince John Emeka, State Minister of Transport, the governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, the State deputy governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Director of the National Mathematical Centre, Prof. Samson Ale and other renowned names in the academic world, was declared open by the revered ‘Agbalanze’ society which the late Chike Obi belonged.

In his oration, Yar’Adua described the late Mathematician as the best in the whole universe, saying, “Professor Chike Obi obviously rank among the very best in the universe, particularly in Mathematics.

“I have come to honor the man who contributed so much to Nigeria in particular, and the world in general in Mathematics. “Right from my primary school days, Mathematics in Nigeria was synonymous with Chike Obi,this is not without reason. The professor lived life with passion”.

Speaking on late Obi, the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, described his death as a sad loss to the Black race and the mathematical world, adding that the memory of his personal achievements in the academic and political field will continue to inspire Anambrans and Nigerians.

Obi called on Nigerians and the family of the late versatile scholar to take solace in the fact that he livedlong with his integrity and credibility as a statesman intact, assuring that the State will remember and celebrate his contributions to the development of education in the country and beyond.

“As a mark of gratitude,we shall name the department of Mathematics in the State University after him and also commence annual mathematics competition in the State, to keep his spirit alive,” he promised.