By Adadainfo
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Thursday, condoled with the Northern Elders’ Forum over the death of elder statesman Dr Paul Unongo.
Benue-born-politician Unongo died a few days ago at the age of 87.
Ohanaeze stated this in a release by its national publicity secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia.
The statement read, “Ohanaeze received with sadness the news of the death of a foremost Nigerian patriot, astute administrator, bridge builder, courageous and sagacious politician, moral edifice, elder-statesman, former minister of power and steel in the Second Republic and former leader of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Chief Paul Iorpuu Unongo.
“Unongo was an embodiment of restructuring Nigeria for effective and efficient service delivery. On the other hand, while Unongo remained culturally and emotionally attached to his native Tiv ethnic, he never lost his Northern orientation and the need for sustainable relationship with the other parts of the country based on equity, justice and fairness.
“Unongo was an apostle of excellence, a social crusader and political activist. Unongo had recounted how as a small boy, he donated six shillings in support of the Zikist movement in 1946; based on his broad mind and convictions that Nigeria needed a cerebral pragmatic intellectual. He was to campaign for Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe to be elected a president of Nigeria in 1979.
“The dispositions, mutual toleration, elderly moderations of the Unongo quintessence in the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) have no doubt added profound values to the Nigerian democratic dispensation.”
The president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, in the statement, recalled, with nostalgia, his relationship with Dr Chuba Okadigbo, Chief Paul Unongo, Chief Aper Aku, Sen J S Tarka, Chief Solomon Lar, among others, during the Second Republic under President Shehu Shagari.
He lamented that ‘a foremost Nigerian patriot is gone’.
The statement added, “While Ohanaeze Ndigbo and indeed the entire Ndigbo send our condolences to the immediate Unongo family, Governor Samuel Ortom and the good people of Benue State, the paramount ruler of the Tiv Nation, Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse; Professor Ango Abdullahi and the Northern Elders Forum, and indeed the community of Nigerian patriots, it is our prayers that the Almighty will grant his soul an eternal rest in his bosom.”
