Gov Otti Renames State Polytechnic After 1st Civilian Gov

The governor of Abia State, Dr.Alex Otti has renamed the state Polytechnic; Abia Polytechnic, Aba, after the first civilian governor of the state and former Minister of Science and Technology, late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

Otti, announced his decision to rename Abia Polytechnic after late Onu, who was also a 2023 Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the International Conference Center (ICC), in Umuahia, the state capital on Thursday during a commendation service in honour of the late astute political icon.

Our correspondent reports that late Onu was the first democratically-elected Executive Governor of Abia State in January 1992 and remained in office until November 1993 following an unfortunate military coup that truncated the democratic government as it where.

Gov. Otti who described late Onu as a true nationalist said “Dr 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.

“As outstanding as his services and contributions to national development are, his enduring value for me would be in his humble disposition to life, an understanding that there is great power in being graceful, especially when we suffer personal setbacks.

“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu gave up the presidential ticket of the now defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in the build up to the 1999 general elections because he believed that the long term unity of the nation mattered more than his political ambition.

“He did not cling unto what he had rightfully earned for the simple reason that he loved the country and its democratic future more than his desire to occupy the exalted seat of the presidency.

“Beyond his easy-going nature, Dr Onu was also a man of great conviction who never shied away from saying the truth whenever necessary, even to the most powerful individual, as he did many times in his long public service career.”

Otti who said Onu’s life was clearly a life of impact, excellence and commitment to serving humanity, further stated “While we are bound to grieve as a people who lost a dearly beloved father, leader and role model, I am, however, of the view that a better way of celebrating and honouring the memory of this great icon is to pause for a moment and reflect on our individual journeys and ask very important questions of ourselves.

“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu is celebrated across the nation today because he was deliberate in deploying his intellect and the privileges of the political offices he occupied to serve our people, advance the cause of justice and inspire in others, a can-do-spirit that has enabled them to overcome the limitations of their humble backgrounds.

“Dr Onu’s greatness lies in his undying belief in the infinite capacity of the human spirit, the consciousness that everyone who dreams and dares to chase their dreams can achieve great things. It was this conviction that catapulted the young boy from Uburu to the summit of his class at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) Enugu through the University of Lagos where he graduated with a First Class honours degree in Chemical Engineering and to the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemical Engineering in 1980.

“It is to the eternal credit of our first democratically elected Governor that not even the uncertainty of the times could stop him from establishing himself as a development-conscious leader.

“Dr Onu did not only lay the foundation for the dynamic and structured development of all parts of the State, he set up major administrative and service-delivery structures that are still functioning till today.

“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s administrative genius inspired the setting up of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba, the Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, and the National Ambassador Newspaper.

“It is also important to recall that it was under Governor Onu that the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, now Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU), was established.

“The simultaneous establishment of these institutions in the three senatorial districts of the State speaks to Dr Onu’s distinction as a strategic leader who understands the connection between institutions of learning and the development of the critical manpower necessary for holistic and widespread economic growth.

“Dr Onu was one leader who believed that our true path to development is in building institutions that train and equip our young ones with the knowledge that makes them productive and competitive, especially in relevant fields of technology, science, education and agriculture.

“He did not just stop at making education the most important industry in the State under his watch, he did something that was unprecedented at the time by abolishing the indigene/non-indigene dichotomy in the State’s civil service, making it clear to all that if you have the skills and competencies to serve our people diligently, you are an Abian and can seek and find employment here, irrespective of where you were born or where you started from.

“This philosophy which we have since adopted as an Administration made the civil service competitive.

“His Excellency, Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, CON, has in transiting to the great beyond, passed on the torch of the higher ideals and values he lived by to us.

“The task before us as his children, mentees and associates is to preserve his legacy of public service by rededicating ourselves to the important assignment of working for the good of the present and future generations.

“Our former Governor taught us unforgettable life lessons in the power of dreaming and thinking big, consistency and broad mindedness in our interactions.

“These are values that inspire nations to greatness; the time has now come for us to collectively embrace these ideals and live them out, just like our patriarch and father did.

“In addition to aspiring to the higher ideals that drove Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s public service life, this event provides a very important opportunity to appreciate the impermanence of everything under the sun and why it is in our interest to spend each day with the consciousness that we are pilgrims on a journey to a permanent place.”