Ogbonnaya Onu drew a concept, idea for a better Nigeria: Sen Prof Anthony
…..says it was perfect
Sen. Prof. Anthony Ani, the senator representing Ebonyi South, has said that the late former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu’s concept and idea for a better Nigeria was perfect.
Sen. Prof. Ani who spoke with Journalists on Thursday said, Onu was not just a gentle man, but, was a man of the people, a scholar and an icon of such.
Recall that Ani had moved a motion of urgent national important on the floor of the Red Chambers where Senators from the six geo-political regions took their turn to eulogised the late Icon.
Ani also noted 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).
However, the federal lawmaker, expressed fulfilment on the motion, saying that his colleagues were actually seeing the late Onu the way he saw him.
He said, “I feel fullfilled that my colleagues were able to see the way I saw him because he was a man of the people, a scholar, and an icon of such. He was a man of integrity, capacity, he was filled with intellectual capacity, he was a universal man, and a democrat.
I was thrilled yesterday (Wednesday) that my colleagues see him the way I saw him, which means I was right moving the motion.”
Meanwhile, most of the Senators who paid eulogized the late Icon pointed out the fact that he was one of the few Nigerians who gave their all for the birth of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) then a major opposition party.
Ani insisted that the late icon was a willing tool God used for the eventually formation of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) among others.
Prof. stated that he was optimistic that atleast the likes of Ogbonnaya Onu could still be found in the country even after his demise.
He said, the Senate has done their bid by recommending that the federal government imortalise him, now left for the FG to use the instrumentality of the state apparatus to imortalise him with a globally recognise monument.
He affirmed that his type of person needs to be imortalise so that the younger ones will lean from his deels and try to be resourceful to the society.
However, the Senate, in its resolutions after a motion on Wednesday, 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.
On the south east Development commission, Prof noted that if implemented will help in the development of the region.
He also said education can also help in combating criminality and insurgency, saying that if a people are well educated, they will be thinking of good things to do and not negative things. He added that those who are involved in this insurgency and banditry if check did not go to school or some of them are not properly educated.
