The remains of a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, were buried at his hometown, Asaga in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia on Saturday.

Maduekwe, who was also Minister of Culture and Tourism as well as Transport, who died at the age of 71, was buried after a service by the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.

Some of his friends and associates described him as a man of ideas and one who was greatly interested in nation building.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia said that the people of Abia were proud of the deceased because he lived a life worthy of emulation.

Ikpeazu said that the responsibility of living according to the values Maduekwe represented in life rested “on our shoulders’’ and added that Nigeria had lost a great patriot.

The governor described Maduekwe as a wonderful family man, worthy ambassador of Nigeria, a warrior of Asaga community and a hero to the people of Abia.

He said that a lot had been said about the status and personality of the deceased but that the occasion ought to remind everyone about the transient nature of human life.

In his tribute, Mr Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, lauded Maduekwe for his numerous contributions to the development of Nigeria.