The Senate has urged the federal government to immortalise the immediate past minister of Science, Innovations and Technology, late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, with a national monument due to his contributions to the growth and development of the country.
Onu besides serving as national chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), was a presidential candidate in 1998 and a former governor of old Abia State.
However, the Senate, in its resolutions after a motion on the passage of the late Onu by Senator Anthony Ani (APC Ebonyi South), paid tribute to the deceased during plenary.
The red chamber also resolved to send a delegation to condole with his family, the federal government as well as Abia and Ebonyi States.
Senator Ani, in a motion of urgent national importance, recalled that Onu, who died on April 11, 2024, at an Abuja hospital, after a brief illness, was born on December 1, 1951, and was elected the first Executive Governor of old Abia State (now Abia and part of Ebonyi States).
He informed that the deceased was “a symbol of excellence and an academic icon in Nigeria, having obtained Distinctions in West African School Certificate Examination and finishing as the overall best student at the College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu, First Class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos, and Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, USA.”
The senator added that the late Onu was the pioneer Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a pioneer staff of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State while he was also the first chairman of the Conference of elected Governors in Nigeria (now Governors’ Forum).
He equally recalled that Onu was the first presidential candidate of the All People’s Party, (APP) in the 1999 presidential election and ANPP national chairman at the time the party was merged with other political parties to form the current ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Several senators, who contributed to the motion, described the late Onu as a kind politician who made a lot of sacrifices for the unity, growth and development of the country, and therefore supported his immortalisation by the government.
The Senate recently paid tribute to the late minister by observing a minute of silence during one of its resolutions. This somber moment serves as a poignant acknowledgement of the minister’s contributions and legacy.
This gesture by the Senate underscores the importance of commemorating individuals who have dedicated their lives to public service and have made significant contributions to society.
Through this act of remembrance, the Senate not only honors the memory of the late minister but also expresses solidarity and empathy with the grieving family and friends.
