Governor Alex Otti has renamed the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, after the first governor of the state, the late Ogbonnaya Onu.

Mr Otti made the announcement on Thursday during a commendation service held in honour of the deceased at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.

Mr Onu, who passed away in April at the age of 72, also served as the minister for science, technology and innovation.

The governor said that late Mr Onu made significant contributions to the development of the state and nation at large.

“We as a state have decided to immortalise him by renaming the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, after him.

“The polytechnic will henceforth be known as Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba,” he said.

The governor added that the deceased made significant contributions to Abia’s development.

This, he said, was especially with the founding of the Abia State Polytechnic, the Abia State College of Education (Technical), and supporting the establishment of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU).

“The simultaneous establishment of these institutions in the three senatorial districts of the state speaks to Mr Onu’s distinction as a strategic leader.

“He was a leader that understood the connection between institutions of learning and the development of the critical manpower necessary for holistic and widespread economic growth,” he said.

Mr Otti recalled that late Mr Onu’s act of patriotism in 1999 when he sacrificed his presidential bid for national unity, adding that the deceased  showed great commitment to Nigeria’s future.

“He loved the country and its democratic future more than his desire to occupy the exalted seat of the presidency.

“Mr 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,” Mr Otti said.

He said Mr Onu’s demise had created a social and political void that would be very difficult to fill.

Mr Otti  prayed God to grant the family of the deceased and the people of Ebonyi State the fortitude to bear the loss and urged them to emulate his life of service and integrity.

In a homily, the Bishop of Umuahia Catholic Diocese, His Lordship Michael Ukpong, emphasised the need for all to live responsibly.

Mr Ukpong said that the former governor positively impacted lives and left indelible marks in Abia.

He said the deceased would be remembered for many reasons, including contributions such as attracting the rebuilding of the Abia Tower of Peace, the establishment of the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia, and the National Ambassador, among others.

The event attracted dignitaries, including the chairman of the national burial planning committee, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, among others.

(NAN)