On Friday the 8th day of November, 2024, the earthly remains of the 72 year old Ogbonnaya Onu will be committed to mother earth in his Uburu Community, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Death of one diminishes all. John Donne put it in a more admirable and laconic manner that “No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.
Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Death marks the end of living things. It is the way of all mortals. However, “when someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure”, the people of old admonished. Ancient wisdom never fails!
As Ogbonnaya Onu has gone to be with his maker, the unavoidable, inescapable and inexorable question that must be asked and answered will be- what will be inscribed on his tomb as his epitaph?
The dictionary defines an epitaph as “a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone Something by which a person, time, or event will be remembered.”
Hence, following Ogbonnaya Onu’s demise, what will be emblazoned in the hearts of his immediate family members; Uburu community, Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State people; his engineering profession colleagues, political associates, Ndi Igbo in particular and Nigerians in general about his passing?
Was he a good man or was he avaricious, self-serving and unpatriotic? Was he an oppressor and a notorious anti- people leader?
What brand of politics did he play? Was he a pro-poor and developmental politician or was he pull-him-down maestro, rapacious power monger or unforgiving godfather? Generally speaking, how did he impact humanity?
The welter of accolades, condolences and eulogies pouring in from different strata of the polity after his translation exemplify and corroborate that Ogbonnaya Onu was an iconic leader. Ogbonnaya Onu can easily pass for a great Nigerian of Igbo descent though no mortal is without sin. May GOD ALMIGHTY forgive him his sins and grant his soul eternal repose. We pray!
Good men do not die. They live on in the hearts of their loved ones through their good deeds.
I join to attest that Ogbonnaya Onu was a good man.
His mercurial and trailblazing earthly accomplishments in diverse areas of life (whether as a lecturer, Governor of old Abia State, founder of political parties, Federal Minister and the like) become microcosm of the macrocosm when compared to the epigraph he crafted by or for himself in the earth-shaking oration he delivered to APC delegates during the 2022 APC presidential primary election.
In the hearts and minds of men and women of enlightened consciences, that epochal speech, (if you like call it farewell address to Nigerians and Nigerian politicians), will stand him out till eternity as a detribalized Nigerian, a gentle giant and fierce advocate for political justice.
Truth be told, no words written on Ogbonnaya Onu’s tombstone as an epigraph will come close to the timeless roadmap he dramatized and courageously verbalised on that solemn occasion.
The epicentre of his political disquisition was on how to make Nigeria a truly great nation.
Talking to APC delegates during the Presidential Primary election which held on Tuesday June 7 2022 at the Eagles Square just before the commencement of voting at the presidential primary, he said the following immutable words inter alia (among other things)-
“… Nigeria was created by GOD to be a great nation, a nation that all other nations will respect and all Nigerians will be proud of. A nation that will be in a position to grow enough food for our people and to export the surplus; A nation that can produce many of the things that we need and stop relying on importation into Nigeria of all the things that we need … and then we can export the surplus so as to ensure that our currency the Naira regains the strength that it used to have before…Naira used to be stronger than the Dollar, and it can still be achieved….
Using science, technology and innovation and encouraging entrepreneurship, helping to ensure that all Nigerians are educated … and in the interim to offer free education to all Nigerians and make it compulsory at the primary and secondary levels because we have seen that the difference between developed and underdeveloped countries are essentially nations that have ignorant people as their citizens. This education we are talking about will be different from what we have now. This education will now be influenced by Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
I believe that One day, Nigeria should be ranked in the nature of countries like the United States of America and China… This will help us to build a nation that every Nigerian will be happy to be a citizen…. Fund should set aside for job creation.
We need to create jobs for Nigerian youths. They need to be kept busy so that we can solve the problems we have with Security, health, education, industry….
We need to create a Ministry of National Unity and Values. That will bring back the values that and h made this country very great. That Ministry will ensure that we bring in discipline into our society. Once you discipline a society, you will have progress and so on.
I paid for the money that was used to register APC….
The Motto of APC is Justice. You have Peace, You have Unity… Where you have, justice you have peace. Where you have peace, you have prosperity.
What is very, very important, exceptionally important, is that we must ensure that justice is upheld….
Naturally, it should be somebody from the South East that will now replace him (Buhari), and that will give the opposite of South versus North and Christian versus Muslim a balance, and it will bring stability to our nation; it will strengthen the unity of Nigeria….
I held the presidential ticket for one of the three parties then, but I had to let it go in order to solve a problem with the South West, to make sure that two Olus contested for the presidency, that head or tail, one will become a president and that brought down tension within the country.
This is what would have happened if we allowed the South East at this time. The South-West had eight years as president, eight years as Vice president; the South-South had eight years as president and vice president; WHERE IS THE JUSTICE, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?
WE NEED TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!”
As lawyers would say, res ipsa loquitur (the facts speaks for itself). Ideas not manifested are ideas wasted!
What more can anyone add to the pungent ideas on how to make Nigeria a great nation manifested in the above quoted desideratum and magnum opus by Ogbonnaya Onu- former Governor of old Abia State, former presidential candidate/aspirant, former Federal Minister, foremost academic and intellectual in politics, respected elder statesman, autochthonous community leader, authentic Igbo leader and pan-Nigerian of demonstrable gargantuan proportions.
As Nigerians eagerly await the final obsequies of Ogbonnaya Onu, it is only apposite to say a big KUDOS to Governor Uzodinma of Imo State for rallying federal might and his colleagues (the South East Governors), entire Ndi Igbo, family, friends and well-wishers to accord the late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Engr Chief Sir Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a befitting and incident free national burial on 29th October 2024.
I pray that the Ebonyi State Governor will take cue therefrom, thereafter spare no expense and logistics in mobilising support and solidarity across the nation and South East in particular in according Ogbonnaya Onu a benefitting pan- Nigerian peaceful farewell. He more than deserves it.
GOOD BYE, His Excellency Engr Chief Dr Ogbonnaya Onu CON, a man whose self-written epitaph reads “WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? WE NEED TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!”
A new normal is possible!
🖋️
Prof Obiaraeri, N. O.