By Anya C. Anya
The popular First Africa’s Indigenous automobile izuogu z-600 great man Dr. Ezekiel Is dead, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu is believed to have built Z-600 which is the first car with African origin.
Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, African foremost inventor is from Imo state, Investigation by AFNEWS revealed that Ezekiel Izuogu, died after a brief illness.
The Imo-born manufactured Africa’s first car, Z-600 in 1997 to much applause when he was still a lecturer. Among those who have reacted to his death include the Nigerian President . President Muhammadu Buhari while reacting to his death described him as a great innovator and an important figure in the nation’s political terrain
President Muhammadu Buhari who spoke through Femi Adesina, his media and publicity aide said the great icon is a “trail-blazing innovator, a well-respected academic and gifted engineer” as he asked God to grants his son an eternal rest.
The president also said that the man was also a very important political figure apart from the great innovation with a recognisable leadership in the country’s political landscape.
The news of this death has thrown the country into great sorrow especially in Akokwa clan in Ideato North local government of Imo state, died where the inventor is from .
Sources close to the deceased who spoke to AFNEWS said The popular inventor died on Saturday, July 18, after he was sick for a while.
It will interest you to note that Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu once competed for the Imo state governorship election and was a BOT member of the All Progressives Congress.
He created the Z-600 in 1997 when he was a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, making it first Africa’s indigenous produced car.
The car is nicknamed “The African dream machine ” as 90% of its parts were sourced locally. At a projected sales cost of $2000, it would have taken the world by storm and become the cheapest and most affordable car on earth. “With mass production planned under Izogu Motors plant in Naze Owerri, the prospects of an industrial revolution in Igbo land and Nigeria, was in the making,” the BBC described the car.
Dr. Ezekiel got FG’s attention under the late General Sani Abacha’s regime which gave the car a clean bill of road worthiness, it promised to give the inventor a grant of N235 million. however the grant was never given.
Further Investigation reveal that after the inventor reluctantly agreed to set up a factory in South Africa, it was broken into on March 11, 2006, by heavily armed men, taking away machines and the design history of Z-600 and file of Z-MASS.
“It seems that the target of this robbery is to stop the efforts we are making to mass-produce the first-ever locally made car in Africa. “Other items stolen included locally produced timing wheel, locally produced camshaft, locally produced crankshaft, locally produced engine tappets, all 20 pieces each.,” the inventor said after the robbery.
