…says elder statesman offered wisdom, vision that surpassed ethnic, religious, divides

Vice President Kashim Shettima has extolled the virtues of the late former Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Wantaregh Paul Unongo, saying he demonstrated that leadership could transcend time and generations.

Born on September 26, 1935, Unongo, a former Minister of Steel Development in the Second Republic, died at the age of 87, on November 29, 2022.

Paying glowing tribute to the late elder statesman at his funeral ceremony in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Shettima offered heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased on behalf of the President noting that Unongo’s burial was a celebration of a life well-lived, and a legacy well-secured.

The Vice President drew solace from the notion that even though he departed at the venerable age of 87, Unongo was fortunate enough to witness the fruits of his labour in his lifetime.

“Many live long only to contradict the ideals of their younger years, but he was an exception. He remained a model of dignity, humility, and purpose.

“A father figure to generations of scholars, public servants, politicians and community leaders, Pa Unongo demonstrated that leadership can transcend time—that service to one’s people can endure even after retirement from the public stage”.

In Shettima’s calculation, 87 years were enough for Unongo, whom he described as an exceptional man, “to write a manual on managing excellence,” recalling that from his early days “as a brilliant psychologist revolutionising academia in Nigeria to his dedication to national service, Unongo’s life testifies to the heights that vision, discipline, and determination can achieve.”