11th September, 2019
Mr. Sunday Igboke, the immediate past Coordinator of the Ngbo North Development Centre, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Monday, slumped and died during his re-appointment verification supervised by Governor David Umahi.
PUNCH reported that Igboke died around 10pm at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, venue of the verification exercise for applicants.
Others said to have been on the panel with the governor were the Speaker of the state House Assembly, Francis Nwifurui; the state Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Onyekachi Nwebonyi; the Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Ugbala; and the governor’s Principal Secretary, Clement Nweke, among others.
According to the report, a source, on condition of anonymity, said before the deceased slumped, he had complained of high blood pressure and left the venue twice for the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, where he told some associates that he was losing strength.
The source said Igboke thereafter moved into one of the restrooms at the stadium to ease himself.
He was also reported to have recounted that the deceased spent all he earned during his first term as coordinator on his wife’s ill-health, which had not improved, adding that “he died out of desperation and maybe he felt the screening was not favouring him and then slumped.”
“The deceased must have died of high blood pressure following his disqualification during the screening”, the source was quoted to have concluded.