Bianca Ojukwu, Taofeek Arapaja, Ojo Maduekwe & 90 Other Newly Appointed Ambassadors Get Postings

President Goodluck Jonathan in a group photograph with the Ambassadors-Designate

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday presented letters of credence to 93 ambassadors whom he gave a marching order to protect Nigerians in their countries of posting as well as to attract more investment to Nigeria.

Among those that got their letters were Bianca, widow of Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe; former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze; former Oyo State deputy governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja; former State House Chief of Protocol, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijani and Presidential Liaison Officer, Mohammed Abubakar Waziri.

Jonathan, while handing over the letters of credence to the ambassadors, urged them to forge a common front and de-emphasise ethnic associations for the greater feeling of oneness.

Bianca's Touching Tribute to Late Husband, Odumegwu Ojukwu

How do I sum up 23 years in one page? I don't know. How do I describe you? I cannot. Not in any depth. Not for anybody else - you were my husband, my brother, my friend, my child. I was your queen, and it was an honour to have served you.

You were the lion of my history books, the leader of my nation when we faced extinction, the larger-than-life history come to,  my life - living, breathing legend. But unlike the history books, you defied all preconceptions. You made me cry from laughter with your jokes, many irreverent. You awed me with your wisdom. You melted my heart with your kindness. Your impeccable manners made Prince Charming a living reality. Your fearlessness made you the man I dreamt of all my life and your total lack of seeking public approval before speaking your mind separated you from mere mortals.

Every year that I spent with you was an adventure - no two days were the same. With you, I was finally able to soar on wings wider than the ocean. With you I was blessed with the best children God in heaven had to give. With you, I learnt to face the world without fear and learnt daily the things that matter most. Your disdain for money was novel - sometimes funny, other times quite alarming. It mattered not a whit to you. Your total dedication to your people - Ndi-Igbo - was so absolute that really, very little else mattered. You never craved anybody's praise as long as you believed that you were doing right and even in the face of utmost danger, you never relented from speaking truth to power - to you, what after all, was power? It was not that conferred by the gun, nor that stolen from the ballot box. No. You understood that power transcended all that. Power is the freedom to be true to yourself and to God, no matter the cost.