By Seyi Babalola
The Senate on Wednesday, requested that the Nigerian Government honor the late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of old Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Science, Innovations, and Technology, with a national monument in recognition of his contributions to the country’s growth and development.
The Red Chamber, in its resolutions after Senator Anthony Ani’s (APC Ebonyi South) motion on the late Onu’s passage, paid respect to the dead in plenary and agreed to send a delegation to condole with his family, the Federal Government, and the states of Abia and Ebonyi.
Rising to speak on a motion of urgent national significance, Senator Ani expressed tremendous sadness over Onu’s death on April 11, 2024, at an Abuja hospital following a brief illness.
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.