Speaking to newsmen during the ceremony, Obi said it was gladdening how Nigerians trooped out to honour Ekwueme, who he described as an “austere professional, a finished scholar and a great politician that recognized that politics was about service to the people.”
Recalling some of the many infrastructure Ekwueme spearheaded their provision at various times, Obi specifically requested one of them- the Polytechnic at Oko not just to be upgraded to a University of Technology, but to be named after him.
Justifying the call for re-naming of the higher institution after Ekwueme, Obi said: “Naming of epistemic institution after Ekwueme is not only a compliment to his contributions to the the growth and development of Nigeria, but also recognition of his great learning spanning across many disciplines.”