Crowd Throng Benin Airport to Receive Anenih’s Remains

Hundreds of sympathisers, including chieftains of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress ((APC), friends, kinsmen and well-wishers thronged the Benin Airport to receive the remains of late former Chairman, Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih.

However, there was confusion following the failure of the chartered aircraft conveying the remains of the deceased elder statesman to arrive the airport complex as scheduled in the burial programme by the organising committee set up to accord the Uromi-born politician a befitting state burial.

Sadly, majority of the sympathis- ers who waited for hours in the scorching sun had left in frustration as the plane bearing the corpse failed to arrive.

The plane was billed to arrive the airport at about 1:30pm to be received by the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, top chieftains of the PDP and other eminent personalities who stormed the Edo capital for a tribute night slated at the University of Benin Sports arena.

Among the eminent personalities who left the airport in the ensuing confusion include the PDP National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus; state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih; Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, chairman of the burial organising committee and former Edo governorship candidate of the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, amongst others.

Others are various support groups adorned in different uniforms, cultural troupes, Uromi kinsmen of the dead, security agencies, MIC undertakers and several others.

The Chief of staff to Governor Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele and state chairman of the APC, Mr. Anselm Ojezua and some lawmakers of the state House of Assembly were on hand to receive the remains of the late political.

All the personalities had converged on the airport at about 9a.m. and waited till 4:00p.m. when the remaining guests and sympathisers started leaving the airport.