November 30, (THEWILL) – Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, described the death of late elder statesman and patriot, Chief Paul Unongo, as a great blow on the collective yearnings and aspirations of the Northern Elders Forum.
Obasanjo, who commiserated with the family, people and government of Benue State in a condolence letter to the governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, said that Unongo served the state and the entire country meritoriously during his lifetime
He made this known in his condolence message by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The octogenarian, who expressed deep sadness over the death of the second republic federal minister, said that the nation would miss a political giant, whose intellect, hard work and vision had improved, not only his community and Benue state, but also the entire Nigeria.
He said, ” There is no doubt that the nation will miss this political giant, whose intellect, integrity, hard work and vision improved not only his immediate community in Benue State but also Nigeria as a whole. His meritorious contributions as a Federal Minister in the Second Republic and later as a member of the Constitutional Review Committee earned him the respect and admiration of many of his compatriots.
“Chief Unongo was indeed an outstanding individual and this was evident in all the responsibilities and posts he was assigned both at the State and national levels. His life was one of dedicated service, doing so with courage, loyalty and distinction. I am sure that many who knew him will forever remember him as a good man, a great politician and an inspiring leader.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that Chief Unongo’s death has also dealt a great blow on the collective yearnings and aspirations of the Northern Elders Forum, which was at some point under his chairmanship; indeed, the Forum has lost a dynamic, visionary leader whose position will be hard to fill.
“Although we are deeply saddened to hear of his transition, we are comforted by the knowledge that he lived a full, productive and useful life of service and devotion to his community, his State and the nation, as well as to humanity. We commiserate with you, his family and the entire good people of Benue State and pray that God, in His mercy, will comfort you all”, he added.
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