Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has stated plans to immortalise the late first Civilian Governor of the state, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who died on Thursday.
Otti disvloded this in a statement on Friday, by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, while expressing shock and sadness over Onu’s sudden demise.
He described Onu’s death as “a huge loss to Abia state, Ebonyi State, the Igbo nation and Nigeria as a whole”.
Otti in the statement, said Onu was “one of such living statesmen with the character, carriage and statesmanly disposition required to reposition the nation for the better.”
“Dr. Ogbonnaya was a gentleman and statesman with rich experience and wealth of knowledge, and was very outstanding in his character, comportment and engagements.”
The statement added, ”Even though he held public offices both as a Governor and Minister respectively at difficult times, he was never associated with conducts or controversies capable of diminishing his reputation and personality.
“We are therefore, saddened by his demise at a time his statesmanly contributions and interventions were needed in Nigeria”, Otti lamented.
The Governor vowed that Abia would honour and immortalise Dr Onu by ensuring that “the democratic journey he started in Abia as a Civilian Governor many years ago is advanced to a level where the welfare and well-being of Abians would be made an institutionalised priority at all times.”
Otti urged political leaders to follow the foot steps of Onu’s model of decency, decorum and contentment in public service as a way of ensuring sanity in our body polity.
On behalf of his family, the Government and people of Abia state, he commiserated the Onu family, the Government and people of Ebonyi State, and the Federal Government of Nigeria over the loss of the elder statesman.
Wishing the family the fortitude to bear the loos, Otti prayed God to grant Onu’s soul eternal repose in his bosom.
