OGBONNAYA ONU: A LEGACY THAT CANNOT BE ECLIPSED BY THE MISERY OF DEATH

Being the Text of a Tribute Presented by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, at the Commendation Service Held in Honour of Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, CON, former Governor of Abia State, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia on Thursday, November 7, 2024

Protocol

1. We have gathered this morning as a State to celebrate the life and times of our former Governor, His Excellency, Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, CON, whose sad demise in April this year created a social and political void that will be very difficult to fill. I want to begin by extending the condolences of the Government and people of Abia State to our brothers and compatriots in Ebonyi State, especially the Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, the leaders and good people of Amata, Uburu Community in Ohaozara LGA, his dear wife, Dr Mrs Chinyere Onu and their children, and all who are grieving from the painful loss of this accomplished statesman and trailblazer.

2. Dr Onu’s greatness goes beyond his remarkable run in politics which offered him the platform to serve as the first democratically-elected Governor of our dear State, Abia, Minister of the Federal Republic, former National Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), a former presidential candidate and a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and a voice of conscience in very difficult moments. As outstanding as his services and contributions to national development are, his enduring value for me would be in his humble disposition to life, an understanding that there is great power in being graceful, especially when we suffer personal setbacks.

3. Dr Ogbonnaya Onu gave up the presidential ticket of the now defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in the build up to the 1999 general elections because he believed that the long term unity of the nation mattered more than his political ambition. He did not cling unto what he had rightfully earned for the simple reason that he loved the country and its democratic future more than his desire to occupy the exalted seat of the presidency. Beyond his easy-going nature, Dr Onu was also a man of great conviction who never shied away from saying the truth whenever necessary, even to the most powerful individual, as he did many times in his long public service career.

4. While we are bound to grieve as a people who lost a dearly beloved father, leader and role model, I am, however, of the view that a better way of celebrating and honouring the memory of this great icon is to pause for a moment and reflect on our individual journeys and ask very important questions of ourselves. Dr Ogbonnaya Onu is celebrated across the nation today because he was deliberate in deploying his intellect and the privileges of the political offices he occupied to serve our people, advance the cause of justice and inspire in others, a can-do-spirit that has enabled them to overcome the limitations of their humble backgrounds.

5. Dr Onu’s greatness lies in his undying belief in the infinite capacity of the human spirit, the consciousness that everyone who dreams and dares to chase their dreams can achieve great things. It was this conviction that catapulted the young boy from Uburu to the summit of his class at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) Enugu through the University of Lagos where he graduated with a First Class honours degree in Chemical Engineering and to the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemical Engineering in 1980. He would go on to become the pioneer head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt and later the acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in the University.

6. Standing firmly on his belief that we are only limited by the size of our dreams, Dr Onu moved from the Ivory Tower to the political arena. In 1991, he contested for the governorship of the newly created Abia State on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and won the massive support of the voters who bought into his agenda of technology-driven development. He was sworn in as the first Executive Governor of our State in January 1992 and remained in office until November 1993 following an unfortunate military coup that not only truncated his development vision for the State, but also set the nation back in a catastrophic fashion.

7. It is to the eternal credit of our first democratically elected Governor that not even the uncertainty of the times could stop him from establishing himself as a development-conscious leader. Dr Onu did not only lay the foundation for the dynamic and structured development of all parts of the State, he set up major administrative and service-delivery structures that are still functioning till today. Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s administrative genius inspired the setting up of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba, the Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, and the National Ambassador Newspaper. It is also important to recall that it was under Governor Onu that the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, now Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU), was established. The simultaneous establishment of these institutions in the three senatorial districts of the State speaks to Dr Onu’s distinction as a strategic leader who understands the connection between institutions of learning and the development of the critical manpower necessary for holistic and widespread economic growth.

8. Dr Onu was one leader who believed that our true path to development is in building institutions that train and equip our young ones with the knowledge that makes them productive and competitive, especially in relevant fields of technology, science, education and agriculture. He did not just stop at making education the most important industry in the State under his watch, he did something that was unprecedented at the time by abolishing the indigene/non-indigene dichotomy in the State’s civil service, making it clear to all that if you have the skills and competencies to serve our people diligently, you are an Abian and can seek and find employment here, irrespective of where you were born or where you started from. This philosophy which we have since adopted as an Administration made the civil service competitive.

9. In addition to other significant accomplishments within his short reign as Governor, Dr Onu also achieved another distinction when he became the pioneer Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Elected Governors, providing leadership to his peers while galvanising the body of governors into a veritable force for democracy, good governance and accelerated national development. It was no surprise that the next time he appeared on the scene as the country prepared to welcome the Fourth Republic, he was a major contender for the presidency.

10. Dr Onu was by every measure, qualified to serve this country as its president at the dawn of the Fourth Republic and had a good run at it. He only had to let go of his ambition when circumstances contrived against it but he still found other veritable ways of serving the country he loved so dearly. He was an important voice for democracy, a true nationalist and patriot who saw beyond the narrow prism of ethnicity and religion. He saw every Nigerian as a citizen who has the right to pursue their economic and social aspirations from any part of the country, unrestricted by individual or institutional biases.

11. His Excellency, Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, CON, has in transiting to the great beyond, passed on the torch of the higher ideals and values he lived by to us. The task before us as his children, mentees and associates is to preserve his legacy of public service by rededicating ourselves to the important assignment of working for the good of the present and future generations. Our former Governor taught us unforgettable life lessons in the power of dreaming and thinking big, consistency and broad mindedness in our interactions. These are values that inspire nations to greatness; the time has now come for us to collectively embrace these ideals and live them out, just like our patriarch and father did.

12. In addition to aspiring to the higher ideals that drove Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s public service life, this event provides a very important opportunity to appreciate the impermanence of everything under the sun and why it is in our interest to spend each day with the consciousness that we are pilgrims on a journey to a permanent place.

13. To make the most of the short time we have, we should endeavour to live with the end in mind at all times, thinking about the memories we make through our words and actions, and the values we bring to the wider human community with the opportunities and privileges available to us. The message is that we should constantly live the exact words, phrases and sentences we will like to see when our obituaries are written, at the end of our appointed time.

14. I want to conclude on a note of gratitude to God for the gift of Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, CON. His was clearly a life of impact, excellence and commitment to serving humanity. Our world is better because this excellent leader, scholar and visionary passed through here. He may have had his imperfections as a human, but nothing can sufficiently take away from the great input he made in the way we understand politics as a platform to pursue the greatest good, for the greatest majority. Our debt to him as Christians who believe in the promise of immortality is to ask that he obtains forgiveness for his shortcomings and find in eternity, a place of refreshment, light and peace. Thank you for stopping by and may the Angels now accompany you home, our leader and pathfinder.

15. It is on this note distinguished ladies and gentlemen that we as a state have decided to immortalize him by renaming the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba after him. The Polytechnic will henceforth be known as “Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba”

16. I cannot end this speech without thanking Dr. Onu for that call he made to me days before his departure. Even though he was struggling with his speech, he found time to call me to inform me of the state of his health. My only regret was that he couldn’t live to keep the appointment we had before he passed on. Rest well Your Excellency.

17. Thank you for listening and may God bless you all.

Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR.
7/11/2024