Former Minister of foreign affairs and current secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board Of Trustees, Ojo Maduekwe is dead.

Maduekwe died at a hospital in Abuja on Wednesday evening at the age of 71.

Reports say he was on his way back from the U.S. to Nigeria through Dubai when he took ill.

Born May 6, 1945 in Abia State, Nigeria, Maduekwe was appointed Foreign Minister of Nigeria on July 26, 2007 by President Umaru Yar’Adua

He was also appointed Culture and Tourism minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and Minister of Transport in 2001.

As Minister of Transport he famously advocated the use of bicycles as a major means of transportation as it was more environmental friendly.

The proposal was strictly criticised due to the very busy nature of most Nigerian roads; Maduekwe himself was once pushed into a ditch by a bus while he was cycling to work.

Maduekwe was recently appointed the secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees.

Speaking to journalists from Saudi Arabia, chairman of the BoT, Walid Jibrin, said Maduekwe died at a time his services were most needed.