Oko Community Sets Date for Onowu’s Burial
By Patience Ikpeme
The Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State has concluded plans for the burial and final rites of passage of its late traditional Prime Minister, Onowu Oko, Ichie Martin Ezeosim.
The burial has been scheduled for Thursday, October 9, 2025, according to a joint announcement by His Royal Highness, Igwe Prof. Laz Ekwueme, Eze Ijikala II, and his cabinet; the Oko People’s Union (OPU); as well as the family of the deceased.
The late Onowu, who was the second in command to the Igwe of Oko, died at the age of 78. He is remembered for his remarkable contributions to the growth and development of the community.
The funeral rites will begin with a Christian burial service at his country home in Eziabo Village, Oko, after which the Alex Ekwueme Civic Centre will host the official ceremony, expected to attract dignitaries, government officials, and friends of the community.
A committee has been constituted to coordinate the burial. The body, led by Chief Larry Iloh, a member of the Oko Council of Chiefs, includes prominent members of the community drawn from different segments of society.
Speaking on the loss, Igwe Prof. Ekwueme described the late Onowu as an “illustrious, reliable and hardworking community leader” whose leadership and contributions left lasting marks. He said, “We are deeply pained by this loss. Onowu contributed immensely in many facets of the community’s development and leadership. It is our duty to ensure that he is given rites befitting his position and legacy.”
The President of OPU, Nze Sunday Nwafor, also paid tribute to the late traditional Prime Minister. “Onowu lived a very simple life as a Christian. His personae, bravery and carriage remain worthy of emulation by all members of this community,” Nwafor said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Burial Committee, Chief Iloh, pledged that the community would honour the memory of the late Onowu in a grand way. “On behalf of the Oko community, we owe a lot of gratitude to the late Onowu, whose contributions are invaluable. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Oko sons, daughters and friends gather to pay their last respects to our departed leader,” he said.
The late Onowu Ezeosim is remembered not only as a key figure in the traditional institution of Oko but also as a respected voice in community affairs, whose death has created a deep void in the hearts of his people.
