Professor George Obiozor, the President General of the apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, died on Wednesday night.
The d3ath of the octogenarian was confirmed by the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma.
He broke the news about Obiozor’s death across his social media platforms confirming the rumours that the president of the apex group had passed after a brief illness.
Uzodimma described him as “a renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat, a statesman and a tenacious patriot.”
Below are things to know about the late Ohanaeze president;
1. Obiozor was born on August 15, 1942, in Awo-Omamma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. He was 80 years old when he died
2. He had his education at Awo-Omamma Comprehensive Secondary School from 1959 to 1963.
3. For his higher education, he attended the Institute of African Studies, Geneva Switzerland in 1967 for a Diploma Programme. He went on to the University of South Tacoma Washington USA where he obtained a B.A.(Hons) Political Science in 1968. He obtained a Master’s degree from Columbia University, New York in International Law and Organisation; M. Phil in International Affairs in 1974, and finally, a doctorate in International Affairs in 1976.
4. Prof Obiozor was a lecturer at the Pratt Institute, New York City, from 1971 to 1975. He went on to become an assistant professor of political science in City University of New York Medgar Evers College between 1975 and 1979 and Ralph Bunche Research Fellow in United Nations City University of New York Graduate Center from 1977 to 1978.
5.He was the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the State of Israel, and High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus between 1993 and 2003.
6. Obiozor was also the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States from 2004 to 2008.
7. He authored tons of seminal works including highly regarded journal articles, some of which are, Uneasy Friendships: Nigeria-United States Relations, The politics of precarious balancing: an analysis of contending issues in Nigerian domestic and foreign policy and Nigeria and the World: Managing the Politics of Diplomatic Ambivalence in a Changing World.
8. Obiozor was a recipient of the Ugwumba 1 of Orlu in 1991
9. He was a grantee of Albert Schweitzer fellowship and Alice Stetten fellowship, Columbia University School International Affairs
10. He was also the Special Adviser, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Assistant to the President on International Affairs in 1990
11. Prof Obiozor was once the Director General of the Nigerian Institute Of International Affairs, Africa’s foremost foreign policy think tank.