I have followed Engr Izuwa and his visionary leadership at ICRC. His dedication and resolve to make a difference in the public sector partly informed my decision to embrace public service. Unfortunately I didn't met my idol in person and I received the news of his passing with a deep sense of loss.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family in these times and may His soul find rest with His Maker.

*CHIDI - THE MAN BORN TO LEAD!*
Dear Chidi Izuwa. When our paths first crossed at Shell PDC Ltd. in the early nineties, I ascribed far a higher age to you simply because of the enormous tasks and leadership role entrusted to you, which saw you managing massive business volumes and consequently also, a large number of people working for the company. I was much later to realise my wrong assumption and that the reason you were entrusted with so much was because you had demonstrated the capacity and reliability for the trust.

I recall your action and precepts on significant occassions that portrayed your nobility of heart and sterling Christian qualities of charity, love and humility, which I find both inspiring and reinforcing. Your charitable nature and humility were highly at play when I saw you rejoicing with the joyful man of the moment - something rare among competitors in the office. You genuinely shared your colleague's joy despite the seeming edge his success entailed. Not surprisingly therefore, God also gave you many occasions to be very well celebrated in your life. Your clear stance on the virtues of charity and care, particularly towards the elderly, from way back in time, provided me encouragement as well as endorsement for similar strives undertaken. Thanks for the cheerfulness and high spirits with which you delivered on these scores.

Thankfully, after a long while apart, I had the opportunity to catch up with you once again about two years ago at a social event in Anambra State, but sadly, I never knew that would be our last together... I thank God for our paths that crossed in this life and for your impacts. May Heaven receive and nurture your beautiful and noble soul. I pray that God will console your family, friends and everyone touched by your demise. May all draw strength and inspiration from the high quality and exemplary life you lived. Amen. Adieu!

Dominic Ozoude
14th May 2021

A TRIBUTE TO MY DEPENDABLE FRIEND:  ENGR. CHIDI K.C.  IZUWAH - A   DISTINGUISHED PROFESSIONAL-AMBASSADOR OF NIGERIA AND AFRICA.

 "And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in YOU, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6).

The 16th of March 2021 now remains a day to be remembered when history recounts those who have distinguished themselves in the service of God and humanity. This was the day destined for Chidi to conclude his good-works whilst leaving a legacy of profound faith in his creator and plans for a more-sustainable future for our country and continent.

Chidi nwokem!
Otu onye ana ekele unu abiala!! (a single being who is greeted as a multitude!!).

You always stood-out like the “Iroko tree-in-the-forest “. There is a litany of life-lessons you exhibited but I am constrained for space to summarise them in a trinity of inter-related attributes:

1.SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE
- You were DEEPLY prayerful and faithful in small things (fidelis in minimis) and so you were rewarded with “big things”.  I recall one of such occasions when you were the “regent” of Amaede, Amaitolu Ovungwu Autonomous Community (as Eze Udo 1 after your late Father).  One of your early challenges was to resolve a sudden dispute among the elders who placed a phone call to you late in the evening requesting you urgently travel back home from Port-Harcourt. Travelling home the next morning was also going to adversely impact on of your key deliverables as an Asset Manager in the oil/gas industry. In your wisdom, you committed the issues to prayers for DIVINE MERCY and kept vigil from 3am in the morning. You testified that you received a phone call early in the morning to inform you that the “sticking points” of the issues were resolved and you no longer were required at home! What a relief it was!!

It’s no wonder that I have kept up-to-this day one of your “relics” – a Divine Mercy Prayer “book-divider” you gave me in remembrance of your late father.   

2.PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
- Chidi, you “cut your professional teeth” as a project engineer in the oil/gas industry in the late eighties and went ahead to participate in one of the biggest and complex deep offshore developments in Nigeria.  I recall your giant strides while working in Monaco, South of France, with other project teams around the globe to deliver one of the largest and complex Offshore Floating Production, Storage & Offloading (FPSO) Vessels in Nigeria. You left a legacy of excellent professional competence and commanded deep respect from your Nigerian and Overseas colleagues. Subsequently, you did maintain critical oil/gas product flow assets amidst the continuous threats of vandalization.

3.  MORAL INTEGRITY
- Your exemplary moral and high ethical standards propelled you from your early days as a student all the way to the top job as Director-General of the Infrastructure Concessions & Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in the Office of The Presidency, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Prior to your formal confirmation for the job, I recall vividly the day you called to inform me that I was one of your references and that I could be called up as part of the usual “due-diligence” check by the relevant authorities. That was all you told me without going further to tell me “what to say or not to say” just in case I were asked. This is a worthy testimony of your high ethical and moral standard.

 You entrusted to my wife, Karin & I the spiritual care of your first daughter, Angelica, from the moment of her baptism. Quite recently, you shared with us the picture she took in the airport in Dallas (Texas) en-route to commence her undergraduate studies. As godparents, we will fulfill our responsibilities to her following the formidable foundation you have laid.

Exemplary family-man! A dependable friend!! Engineer par excellence!!!  Worthy Professional Ambassador of Africa!!!  

You fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Now there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Just Judge will reward you on that day (cf 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Chidi nwokem!  “Otu onye ana ekele unu abiala”…now, on your final journey to join the Church-Triumphant.

FAREWELL!

Cyril Eziefule Ekpe (II)

2nd May 2021