On Wednesday, the Senate tasked the Federal Government with immortalising the former governor of Abia State and immediate past Minister of Science, Innovations, and Technology, the late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
According to the Senate, the deceased former minister should be immortalised with a national monument because of his contributions to the growth and development of the country.
The Senate noted that Onu did not only thrive in politics and governance but also stood out in the academic world with outstanding results and performance both in Nigeria and the United States of America (USA).
The decision to immortalise Onu was reached after the Senator representing Ebonyi South, Anthony Ani, passed a motion paying tribute to the deceased during today’s plenary.
Eulogising the deceased, Ani said that he was “a symbol of excellence and an academic icon in Nigeria, having obtained distinctions in the West African School Certificate Examination and finishing as the overall best student at the College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu, a First Class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, USA.”
The Red Chamber also sent a delegation to condole with Onu’s family, the federal government, and the governments of both Abia and Ebonyi states.
News About Nigeria reported that Onu died on April 11, 2024, at an Abuja hospital, after battling with a brief illness.
The late Onu was born on December 1, 1951, and was elected the first executive governor of the old Abia state (now Abia and part of Ebonyi states).
