…He was a true patriot, my mentor when I was Benue governor, says Ortom
More Nigerians, groups, leaders and organizations continue to shower glowing tribute on former Northern Elders Forum (NEF) National Chairman, Wantaregh Paul Unongo over his passage, with the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) also yesterday mourning the passage of the Second Republic Minister of Steel Development describing him as an icon in the region.
The MBF was joined by the immediate-past Governor of the Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom who in his message described the late elder statesman as a true patriot, a revered figure in Nigeria’s history and someone who was his mentor when he was in office as governor of Benue State.
National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, who spoke exclusively to New Telegraph in Makurdi, said Chief Unongo was a great man the whole country will miss and someone who, despite his deep political and academic background as a Tiv man was detribalized.
“He is someone who has served the nation in so many capacities as Minister, Lecturer and even contested for Governor of Benue State.
“He stands out with a very strong character and he was a detribalized person and he was an icon in this country, an icon of the Middle Belt, a man who, in spite of his Tiv standing, embraced everybody he never cared about whether you are Tiv or whatever but he felt he was a real Nigerian and he served as that.
“Even in the northern setting when he became leader of the Northern Elders Forum, he stood up as a Nigerian and anytime the Elders in the North tried to veer off, he would tell them no, I am a Nigerian and even though I am a Tiv man I am a Nigerian and anything that does not serve the wholistic nature of Nigeria, it’s unacceptable to me. So that’s the kind of person the late Paul Unongo was.
“As a Christian, he was also a traditional person, a man who had so many wives and so many children that would carry his legacy through. So people who don’t know that part of him will certainly know that yes, that is the Paul Unongo we are here today to honour. So his passage is a loss to Nigeria but we have a lot to learn from his legacies”.
In his condolence messages, the former governor, Chief Ortom described the late elder statesman as a revered figure in Nigeria’s history.
Chief Ortom said “Wantaregh’s contributions to the political and social development of Nigeria have left an indelible mark, and his loss is deeply felt by the entire nation”.
“Wantaregh Unongo was among those who laid the foundation for the industrial development of the country. He played a key role in the making of Nigeria’s Constitution at different historical moments.
Until his death, Unongo was one of the surviving nationalists who saw this country in its cradle and nurtured it to full growth and development. As the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Wantaregh was a voice of reason advocating for the unity, peace and development of the country.
“As a respected intellectual, Unongo was among influential Nigerians of his era whose views on national issues were taken seriously. His selfless contributions to the political development of Nigeria spanned over five decades, a period that saw him aspire to govern Benue State”.
He said in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Terver Akase that Unongo groomed him for leadership and later contributed significantly to the success of his administration.
“Wantaregh Unongo was a role model to me and several others. He was my mentor. When I was the Governor of Benue State, he offered me useful advice from time to time to enable me to succeed.
“He was a colossus in several spheres of life and was a patriot who envisioned a united Nigeria where the interests and aspirations of all its people would be equally respected”, the former Governor stated.
He prayed that God grants the deceased leader eternal rest and accord the entire Unongo Kwangise family the strength to bear the loss.
