Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday, extolled the virtues of the late former Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Paul Unongo, saying he demonstrated that leadership can transcend time and generations.
Born on September 26, 1935, Dr. Unongo, a former Minister of Steel Development in the Second Republic, died at the age of 87, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
Paying glowing tribute to the late elder statesman during his funeral ceremony in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Vice President Shettima offered heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, noting that Dr. Unongo’s burial is a celebration of a life well-lived, and a legacy well-secured.
The VP 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,” the Vice President observed.
In VP 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, Pa Unongo’s life testifies to the heights that vision, discipline, and determination can achieve.”
The Vice President reflected on Dr. Unungo’s stewardship as Chairman of NEF, pointing out that the deceased carried on his shoulder a weight only a few could bear.
He said Dr. Unongo was not just a scholar or a politician but was also “a statesman in the truest sense” who put the needs of his people and his nation above every other things.
Benue State Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, who received the remains of the late Unongo, also extolled the virtues of the deceased, noting that he served his community, the state, and the country at large, and worked for the unity of Nigeria and its progress.
He thanked the Vice President for his relentless support to the state at all times and in different ways, noting that his participation in the funeral programme of Dr. Unongo underscores his love and commitment to the progress of Benue state.
Governor Alia prayed to God to continue to bless his memory and give his family, his community, and the state, the fortitude to bear his loss.
Great Leader
In his eulogies, Gombe State Governor and Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Muhammad Inuwa-Yahaya, who represented governors of the 19 northern states at the funeral programme, said the late Unongo was a great leader who worked and believed in the unity of the northern region.
He said leaders across the region will continue to do their best to preserve his legacies and impact the people of the region.
Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi recalled his first meeting and the beginning of his relationship with Dr Paul Unongo, stating that they shared a common vision and belief in the unity and development of the north and Nigeria at large.
“I am here on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum, to pay our respect to our departed leader, Paul Unongo, a man who lived and died for the cause of justice, he insisted on justice. He succeeded in making people realize that there is nothing better than standing for the truth in the interest of the entire country,” he said.
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