Ogbonnaya Onu buried in hometown today
Uburu, hometown of the former governor of the old Abia State, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu was agog today, 8th day of November, 2024 as he was committed to mother earth. The former minister of science and technology, Onu died at age 72 after brief illness.
Church service was held in a Catholic Church at Amenu, Uburu officiated by Bishop Jonas Benson and the Abakaliki Catholic Diocese, Dr Peter Chukwu. The church service was attended by the governor of Ebonyi State, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mba, governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Dr Sam Egwu, minister of works who represented the president of Nigeria, Engr David Umahi, Ebonyi PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 polls and business mogul, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa, deputy governor of Anambra state, Sir Onyekachi Ibezim, former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim, Ken Nnamani, former governor of Rivers State, Barr Chibuike Amaechi, national chairman of the APC and former governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, members of the National Assembly, House of Assembly members, APC stalwarts, Ebonyi State executive council members, former federal executive council members, local government chairmen, clergy community and indeed lovers of the deceased politician.
Onu was Knight of the Saint John International, Engineer and doctoral degree holder. He was a lecturer at the University of Portharcourt before his foray into politics. He was elected governor of the old Abia state in 1992 and later contested for governor in Ebonyi state in 1999 and 2023 respectively. He later became national chairman of the defunct All Progressives People’s Party which merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ANPP), factions of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He served as the chairman of the merger committee that gave birth to the leading political party in Nigeria, All Progressives Congress (APC). He was subsequently appointed minister of science and technology in 2015 and returned in 2019. He contested the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2023 general election in Nigeria.
Speaking in the church mass, former governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi who also hails from Uburu as the deceased read out the condolence message from the president of Nigeria, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu who described the former minister as a perfect gentleman whose drive to see a working Nigeria was unparalleled. He prayed for the repose of his soul in the bosom of God, urging the family to endure the sojourn to glory of their patriarch and national asset, Sir Ogbonnaya Onu.
Umahi on a personal ground donated on behalf of the Uburu sons and daughters the sum of N99 million to be used in completing the church building project that the late patriot was building prior to his death.
