Governor of Delta State and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa has condoled with the family and friends of former Nigerian diplomat, Amb. Ejeviome Otobo.
Otobo, who hailed from Otor-Igho in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, was declared missing on June 15 in New York, United States, but was reportedly found dead on Sunday. He was 70.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, the governor expressed deep sadness at the passing of the renowned career diplomat, and said that news was shocking and was made more painful by the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He said that late Otobo etched the name of Nigeria at the United Nations headquarters in New York where he held top positions, including Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the world body, and regretted that he would be missed for his outstanding contributions to global governance and peace-building initiatives.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I condole with the family of Ejeviome Otobo, a former career diplomat who until his death was a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Peace-building and Global Economic Policy at the Global Governance Institute in Brussels, Belgium.
“His passing at this time is a great loss to Nigeria and the world, given his invaluable contributions to global governance and peace-building strategies.
“As a former Director and Deputy Head of UN Peace-building Support Office (PBSO) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, he developed peace-building strategies, including supporting governance reforms and reconciliation processes for countries,” he said.
The governor prayed that the almighty God would receive the soul of Otobo and comfort his family and community.
