By Adadainfo
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Wednesday, described the death of elder statesman Dr Paul Iorpuu Unongo as ‘the fall of an Iroko tree’.
Recall that Dr Unongo died on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022 at the age of 87 after a brief illness.
According to Ortom, Dr Unongo ‘was a father figure who championed the emancipation of the ordinary citizens without ethnic or religious barriers’, adding that ‘he was a mentor to many present day leaders who had great ideas for the socio-political and economic development of the country’.
Continuing, Gov Ortom said, “In Pa Unongo, our Iroko tree has fallen. He is one of the last icons of political leadership in Nigeria whose contributions to the politics of the country from post independence till date cannot be quantified. Benue State has lost a leader and mentor. His death has created a vacuum that would be difficult to fill.
“We shall miss his intellect, great ideas, oratory prowess and immense capacity for mobilization and organization of the people.”
He however took solace that Pa Unongo’s legacies of patriotism, pan Nigerian and philanthropy would endure, and promised that Benue State would do the needful to immortalize Pa Unongo for his selfless services and contributions to the development of the state.
He prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and the immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss.
