We Shall Miss Ndaa Paddy Obinna – Ohakim■”He was a custodian of Igbo aesthetic heritage, an exemplary elder statesman.”
Dr. Ikedi Ohakim,former Governor of has stated that he is deeply saddened by the demise of elder statesman, foremost art curator, and custodian of Igbo aesthetic heritage,Ndaa Paddy Obinna. He pointed out that the news of the death of the octogenarian has left him devastated and traumatised.
Dr Ohakim, in a statement issued over the weekend in reaction to the elder statesman’s demise, posited that the “art community, Imo people, and all lovers equity, fairness and justice have been jolted by this very sad and irreplaceable loss. With Ndaa Paddy’s death at 82,an Iroko tree has fallen in Imo.”
The former governor opined that the deceased was one of the earliest voices in Southeast, Nigeria, who insisted that art is not just a decoration but documentation. “He gave Ndigbo an identity through art and culture,” he averred.
“As an art curator, he built collections, supported young painters and sculptors, and opened his home to students, researchers, and collectors who came to learn. His home and art gallery in Emekuku became queit classrooms where Igbo motifs and contemporary expressions met, spoke, and endured,” Ohakim said.
According to the former governor, Ndaa Paddy lived a life of uncommon reach and restraint. “As an elder statesman, he was measured in speech, steady in counsel, and generous with his time. He believed that elders are not repositories but bridges between generations. As a democrat and advocate of egalitarianism, he preached equity, fairness, good conscience,and justice for all,” Ohakim explained.
He further stressed that Ndaa Paddy leaves behind “an enduring standard that that culture must be tended,that elders must teach and speak the truth always,and that the family must be held together in love and duty.”
The former governor recalled with gratitude, the deep bond that existed between Ndaa Paddy and his younger brother, His Grace, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, the Archbishop Emeritus of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese. “It was rooted in shared values of faith,learning, discipline, and service to God and community. Ndaa Paddy took pride in his brother’s episcopal ministry,while the Archbishop drew strength from Ndaa Paddy’s wisdom and cultural grounding,” Ohakim opined.
While wishing Ndaa Paddy an eternal and peaceful rest in God’s bosom, Ohakim extended his heartfelt condolences to the entire Obinna family of Umuocham,Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area,and to the people of Imo State. “Though our patriarch has gone to be with the Saints Triumphant,his worthy legacies will remain indelible.Ndaa Paddy was a man of innovation and an ensemble of ideas. We will miss him dearly,” he stated.
