The unexpected and in fact untimely death of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu on 11th of April, 2024, was a satanic blow to his immediate Igbo land and Nigeria at large.
This is because rightly or wrongly, the people believed Dr. Onu was set to liberate Nigeria politically from enemies of democracy.
He was born to the family of Late HRH Eze Abba Onu and Ugoeze Enyidia Uzoma Onu of Amenu, Uburu in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of ABONY! State on 1° December, 1951.
He had his early education at St. Paul’s Primary School, Enuokwe Uburu and Mary Knoll College Ogoja in Cross River State before the Nigerian Civil war. He completed his Secondary Education at Izzi High School in Ebonyi State after the Civil war. He also attended College of Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu for his Higher School Certificate.
However, since the Holy Bible states that there is time for everything, we cannot challenge God who fixes time of birth and death. Painful as the situation is, there is the need to mediate on the times and life of this great man so that our youths and other politicians can emulate his good virtues.
First, he was a man of many firsts and distinctions, Dr. Onu in his West African School Certificate exams in the early 1970s recorded grade one distinction at Izzi High School. He repeated the same performance at College of Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu, where he did his High School before he proceeded to University of Lagos where he made First Class in Chemical Engineering.
At the Cornel University, USA, Dr. Onu completed his Masters and Ph.D in Chemical Engineering before the statutory period meant for the programme. He was the first Civilian Governor of Old Abia State, a feat he achieved at the age of forty-one years in 1992 and ended up being the first Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Governors in 1992.
Dr. Onu was a decent politician from 1999 to date of his death. He maintained disciplined membership of one political party even when he was offered positions and privileges to decamp to the then ruling party.
He never believed in money politics or the use of political thugs to win elections. He would advise his followers to talk to the electorate on what they would gain by voting for him or his political party, akin to Peter Obi’s obedient policy of “No Shish”, to voters. He avoided all forms of exchanging bitterness for all the wrongs done to him by persons or institutions throughout his life.
Dr. Onu was not corrupt or greedy. As a Governor of Abia State for twenty-two months, he had no personal house at Umuahia, neither did he build a petrol station or hotel or any commercial building in the town to our knowledge.
He did not add even a room to his old duplex at Uburu throughout his tenure as a Governor and even after. As Federal Minister of Science and Technology, his house at Uburu received no facelift. At Abuja, he only had a duplex at Asokoro, which he acquired when he was National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Dr. Onu was a model in doing his job as a politician. He breathed life into the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and made it attractive as a Ministry.
As Governor of Old Abia State, he recorded remarkable achievements including modernizing the public and civil service of the new State, establishing the best radio station in the South East, Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA), Umuahia, Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba, and procuring Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike (Now Michael Okpara University of Agriculture.
He also attracted the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu and Esu Okposi Bridge linking Afikpo and Ohaozara Local Government Areas to mention but a few.
Of special note was the case of Governor’s Lodge Umuahia which his successor in office, Col. Ike Nwosu (later Brigadier), described as kingdom Palace) when he came to take over as the Military Administrator of the State in November, 1993 after the General Abacha coup.
Dr. Onu used diplomacy to get the Federal Government of General Babangida to take over most of the State roads as Federal roads in the Old Abia which Ebonyi State benefited.
While we say painful farewell to our great son and brother, Ugo Otigbu Inyinya, Onyiba, we pray God to grant him a beautiful crown in heaven.
May the soul of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu rest in the bosom of the Lord, Amen.
Associate Prof . Ben O. Igwenyi
