By Hon Jac Anuli Onyemma.
The sun has set on a colossus. A giant among men. A rare gem has transitioned, and we are left grasping for words that can barely carry the weight of our grief. Hon. Chief Dr. Chris Asoluka, Okwuruoha, was not just a man; he was an idea, a living institution, a lighthouse in turbulent times.
His life was a melody of brilliance, integrity, and service—composed over decades of relentless devotion to knowledge, to his people, and to the Nigerian nation. Through his intellectual distortion, as I often called it, Dr. Asoluka bent the boundaries of conventional thinking, reshaping minds and systems with wisdom so rare and transformative that those privileged to walk in his orbit could never remain the same. He didn’t just influence; he impacted. He didn’t just teach; he transformed.
Dr. Chris was a man who wore many crowns—scholar, statesman, strategists, legislator, technocrat, consultant, patriot, and above all, a servant-leader. His name was synonymous with policy brilliance and administrative excellence. As Chairman of Nipal Consulting Network, his footprints stretched across the vast expanse of Nigeria’s public and private sectors. From the Senate of the Federal Republic to local councils across the nation, his counsel was gold, and his insight, prophetic.
He served in the hallowed chambers of Nigeria’s House of Representatives with dignity and distinction, helping to craft the budgetary heartbeat of a nation. As Imo State’s Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, and later as Chairman of Nigeria’s Finance Commissioners, he brought fiscal order and strategic direction in a time of national economic turbulence. His roles in the maritime sector alone placed him in a pantheon of Nigeria’s foremost policy architects. From the Cabotage Act to NIMASA, from NEITI to NABRO, his imprint is indelible.
Beyond his towering achievements, Dr. Asoluka was a man of deep humanity. Okwuruoha—his chieftaincy title—speaks to his heart. He was a father to many, a community pillar, and an advocate for justice, equity, and progress. He was as comfortable sitting with scholars at Oxford as he was walking through the dusty paths of the village square in Imo. His love for the Igbo nation was deep, deliberate, and enduring. He saw leadership not as a privilege, but as responsibility. Not as a crown, but as a cross.
His academic laurels glittered like stars—two Bachelor’s degrees, multiple Master’s degrees, and a Ph.D. He was a man forged in scholarship, baptized in service, and crowned with the rarest gift of all: vision.
With his passing, a mighty iroko has fallen. For me, this is a personal loss. The vacuum is wide, the silence deafening. I have lost a mentor, a guide, a rare mind whose conversations left me intellectually stirred and spiritually awakened. Ndi Igbo have lost one of their finest thinkers, a true elder, and a master builder. Nigeria has lost a national treasure.
But we take solace in this: legends do not die. They ascend. They leave behind trails of fire that continue to light the paths of generations yet unborn. Dr. Chris Asoluka lives on—in every policy he shaped, every young mind he inspired, every reform he championed, every truth he spoke without fear.
Farewell, Okwuruoha.
Farewell, noble statesman.
May the ancestors receive you with honour. May your legacy outlive the ages.
Rest in peace, the great Okwuruoha.
Goodnight!
