A former Senate spokesperson, Mr Ayogu Eze has died at the age of 66 on Thursday in an Abuja hospital after suffering from an undisclosed illness.
Eze, who was one of the founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, represented the Enugu North Senatorial District between 2007 and 2015. The late senator was confirmed by the Senate in May 2023 as a federal Commissioner for Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
He also served as the chairman of the Senate Committee of Works, and a member of committees on Constitutional Amendment, Police Affairs, National Planning, Marine Transport and Federal Character & Inter-Government Affairs.
Mr Orji Kalu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, in a condolence message on Friday in Abuja, commiserated with the government and people of Enugu over Eze’s death.
Kalu described Eze as a consummate politician and a patriotic Nigerian. He urged the deceased’s family to uphold the late politician’s remarkable deeds.
The former Abia governor acknowledged Eze’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy in various capacities, adding that the late politician would be remembered for his exemplary leadership qualities.
“I received with sadness the news of the passing of my former colleague in the national assembly, Sen. Ayogu Eze, who represented the people of Enugu North senatorial district in the national assembly from 2007 to 2015.
“He was a complete gentleman who was passionate about the growth and progress of his constituency, Enugu state and Nigeria in general. The late politician was selfless, patriotic and committed to nation-building. His good deeds will continue to speak for him. The late Eze will be greatly missed,” Kalu said.
Kalu, however, prayed to God to grant the late politician eternal rest and his family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
In the same vein, the Enugu council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) expressed shock over the death of Eze.
“It is on a sad note and with rudest shock that the NUJ receives the news of the death of a great communication icon and former senator Representing Enugu North in the National Assembly, Senator Ayogu Eze. He was a man of many parts who God used to ensure that many journalists were gainfully employed in federal establishments.
‘’His impact was equally felt by some media organisations, especially the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) when he piloted the affairs of the Senate Committee on Communication and Media in 2007.
“Eze was once an erudite journalist that worked with Guardian Newspaper, Newswatch Magazine and was a one-time commissioner for information in Enugu state.
”His demise shook the media, the political space and the entire Enugu North senatorial zone, especially the people of Enugu Ezike, where he hailed from. It was indeed a black Wednesday,” NUJ said.
