Ikeogu Oke, winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2017, who died on November 24, 2018, is now to be buried on March 30, 2019 at Akanu Ohafia in Abia State according to a statement released by the family and singed by Kalu Oke Ikeogu.
The statement said there will be night vigil at Chief Imo Ikeogu’s Pavilion, Ugwuaffia layout, Akanu Ohafia on May 29. On March 30, the body will lay in state for songs, prayers and tributes by 11am and interment will be at his country home Ugwuaffia Layout, Akanu Ohafia by 1pm.
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) will have a festival of life at the eve of the burial on March 29 during the vigil where the poetic book of tributes For Ikeogu, For Poetry published by the association and Edited by Denja Abdullahi and Ofonime Inyang will be outed. The collection of 51 poems on the poet, written by both old and young Nigerian poets was published in February 2019 after a call for submission in December 2018 for poems in honour of the departed poet.