The immediate-past Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has expressed deep sadness at the death of the first Civilian Governor of the old Abia State, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
DAILY POST gathered that Onu, who was also the former Minister of Science and Technology, died in Abjua on Thursday at the age of 72.
In a statement on Thursday evening, Ikpeazu described the death of Onu as a massive loss to the political development of our country and especially, to Ndigbo, whose political cause he championed with passion and zeal.
He recalled Onu’s time as the first democratically elected Governor of the old Abia State, between January 1992 and December 1993, a period that was characterized by peaceful co-existence and the setting of the ideological foundations for the development of Abia State.
According to him, “Onu was an astute academic and administrator. He was calm, gentle and never played politics without bitterness. After his service in the State, he would go on to the national stage where he held different positions wherein he left legacies of honor and patriotism. His death has left a big vaccum in our political space.
“Perhaps, the greatest political legacy for which Onu will be remembered is that he played politics with integrity and remained very consistent in his ideologies. Whether in the ruling party or in the opposition, he remained resolute to his ideals”.
Ikpeazu, however, prayes God to accept his gentle soul and comfort his family and the entire people of the old Abia State