Senate Asks FG To Immortalise Onu With National Monument

The Senate convened on Wednesday mourned the death of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of old Abia State and immediate Minister of Science, Innovations, and Technology with a recommendation that the Federal Government should immortalise him with a national monument.

The motion was moved by Senator Anthony Ani (APC Ebonyi South) upon his articulation of the late Onu’s contributions to the nation’s growth and development.

The chamber resolved to dispatch a delegation to offer condolences to his family and the governments of Abia and Ebonyi states.

Addressing the assembly under the urgency of national importance, Senator Ani expressed profound sorrow at Onu’s passing on April 11, 2024, at an Abuja hospital, following a brief illness.

While noting his historic election as the first civilian governor of old Abia State, which now encompasses Abia and parts 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.”

Senator Ani 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 informed that the deceased was the first presidential candidate of the All People’s Party, APP in the 1999 presidential election, adding that he was the national chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP at the time the party was merged with other political parties to form the current ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Numerous 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 immortalization by the government.

The Senate, in its other resolution observed a minute silence in honour of the late minister.

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