By Adadareporters
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has described the death of the former governor of Abia State, Dr Ogbonnaya Ọnụ, as a great loss to humanity.
Our correspondent reports that Dr Ọnụ, a former minister of science and technology, died in Abuja on Thursday after a battle with an undisclosed ailment.
Dr Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze, in a release, described Dr Ọnụ as an “Igbo titan, pathfinder, and erudite scholar”.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in the statement, said he was heart-broken on hearing the sad news, and lamented the death of high-profile Igbo dignitaries in a close sequence.
He mentioned some Igbo great men that recently passed on as Prof George Obiozor, Prof Joe Irukwu, Elder Dr U. K. Kalu, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Dr Sylvanus Ebigwei, Prof Chike Edozien, Dr Herbert Wigwe, and Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
According to the statement, “Chief Iwuanyanwu recalled with freshness how Dr Ogbonnaya Onu displayed an awesome and remarkable magnanimity when, in 1999, he surrendered his presidential ticket in the All Peoples Party (APP) to the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy AD, Chief Olu Falae.
“Above all, Ogbonnaya Onu was one of the most principled Nigerian; he was a rare Nigerian who resisted all the entreaties and tantalizing perquisites of the ruling party, but chose to remain in the opposition throughout the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Ohanaeze extolled Dr Onu for seeking to become the president of Nigeria “on the basis of his impressive credentials, disruptive intellect, visionary acumen, track record of accomplishments, transformative philosophy, equity and unalloyed patriotism”.
“He was a moral edifice who rendered sterling services to the country in several capacities and left with neither tarnish nor blemish,” Ohanaeze stated.
The Igbo umbrella group prayed the Almighty to grant the soul of Dr Onu eternal rest. It also urged the bereaved family and the government and the good people of Ebonyi State to bear the irreparable loss with fortitude.
