Mohbad: ‘I’m not the father’ – Oba Elegushi clears air on late singer’s sonPublished on April 12, 2024By Seun Opejobi

The Elegushi of IkateElegushi Kingdom, Oba Saheed Elegushi, has denied claims of fathering Liam, son of late singer, IleriOluwa Aloba aka Mohbad.

Elegushi said the rumours were a desperate attempt to tarnish his reputation.

Since Mohbad died, the issue of paternity has been at the forefront with the late singer’s father calling for a DNA test to ascertain if Liam is his grandson.

A TikToker, Oloriebimusicproduction2, made several posts on his TikTok page, alleging that the monarch might be implicated in the death of the late Mohbad.

It was also alleged that the monarch was leveraging his influence to obstruct justice for the late singer.

Reacting, the monarch described the allegations as baseless accusations aimed at besmirching his character.

Oba Elegushi also disclosed that a petition has been filed against individuals propagating these allegations.

A statement by his media consultant, Deyemi Saka read, “We would like to respond to a new desperate attempt at dragging His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi, into the needless paternity dispute over the son of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

“The widely syndicated falsehood was promoted by some persons with the underlisted profile on the social media app TikTok, namely: Oloriebimusicproduction2, PEKINS RULES, and WESTO4LIVE. Also, the same falsehood is being promoted by Auto Success Ola, Olubukola Jesse, Teni Ologo, and Tolani Ilesanmi.

“This is to inform the public that the allegation is false and a figment of the wicked imaginations of these persons.

“HRM Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, through his lawyers, has filed a petition against these persons with the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies in a bid to enforce his fundamental human rights and protect him from cyber bullies, while he is hopeful the Nigeria Police will collaborate with relevant international security organisations in this quest for redress.”

Oba Elegushi, while extending condolences to the family of the late singer, implored members of the public not to entangle the traditional institution in the paternity dispute.

“It must be stated emphatically that Oba Elegushi, just like many Nigerians, is saddened by the sudden demise of Mohbad, and demands a thorough investigation and a quick dispensation of justice.

“While we pray to Almighty God to grant the Alobas the immense strength to bear this painful loss, we urge people to refrain from dragging the integrity of His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi, and the revered traditional institution he represents into public disrepute,” the statement noted.

Following the fire outbreak which razed over 14 buildings in Dosunmu Market on Lagos Island, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared that many buildings with structural defects around the site of the inferno and those that do not comply with the state government’s building regulations would be demolished.

Sanwo-Olu issued the warning yesterday in Lagos during the inspection and meeting with stakeholders, victims of the Dosunmu Market inferno which occured in the highbrow Lagos Island on Monday.

The governor, who said the state government would not shy away from its responsibility in ensuring that building standards are followed, added that, “I am going to shut down this place as long as it takes, there will be zero-tolerance all around here.

“It’s not by force that you have to trade. If you don’t have a conducive environment, go and look for something else to do,” he said.

The governor who condemned the avoidable fire disaster said, “We just finished on-the-spot assessment of the very unfortunate and preventable fire disaster here at Dosunmu Market.

“As you are all aware, this fire started on Monday and immediately, the first responders were activated and we thought it was something that we could bring under control in the first couple of hours.

“But unfortunately, as you can see, our people have been very extremely reckless and access was denied to first responders for a couple of hours. Even 48 hours after, the site is still a live site, we still have an isolated burning site and it is still an active disaster site.”

Sanwo-Olu continued, “This is a complete disaster. It is extremely unfortunate. As at the last count, we had about 14 houses in one form or the other that have been affected and a bit more might still go down after the extensive fit-for-purpose test that will be conducted over the couple of days here.”

“What I have seen here is what could have been prevented. We don’t have a full report yet, so I don’t want to speculate. But the initial report that came to us was just gross carelessness and people don’t understand what it means when we say keep your environment safe.

“We will conduct a proper extensive audit into what led to this. But as you see from the initial assessment, we have had an activation of an advocacy that indeed from the month of December and all throughout the month of May, these are high combustible weather that we have known will come year-on-year.

“We have been advertising on the media that people should know that during the harsh harmattan, the weather is not only hard, that you need to also stay away from combustible materials that can activate easy spread of fire and that is a kind of thing that we have seen here today,” Sanwo-Olu further warned.

He lamented that a lot of residential apartments had been converted into warehouses, as inflammable materials were kept in people’s sitting rooms.

Covenant University has been ranked above the University of Ibadan and the Federal University of Technology, Akure, as the best university in Nigeria for the second time, according to Times Higher Education‘s 2024 rating.

Analysis of the latest ranking on Thursday showed that the university based in Ota, Ogun State, is among the top 1,000 universities in the world.

The 801st-ranked university in the world first gained prominence in 2018 after it got the prize for the best university in Nigeria and the sixth-best university overall.

The University of Ibadan followed Covenant as the second-best university in the country, while the Federal University of Technology, Akure clinched third.

The ranking web said the World University ranking includes 1,904 universities across 108 countries and regions.

“The Times Higher World University ranking includes 1,904 universities across 108 countries and regions.

“The table is based on our new WUR 3.0 methodology, which is carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas; teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook,: it said. 

Other universities that achieve the top ranking in Nigeria include the University of Ilorin, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Afe Babalola University, the University of Benin, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Lagos State University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University, and the University of Port Harcourt.

Among the 15 top universities, nine are located in the South West, two in the South East, two in the South-South, one in the North West, and one in the North Central.

See full list below:

1. Covenant University
2. University of Ibadan
3. Federal University of Technology, Akure
4. University of Lagos
5. Bayero University
6. University of Ilorin
7. University of Nigeria
8. Afe Babalola University
9. University of Benin
10. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
11. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
12. Lagos State University
13. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
14. Obafemi Awolowo University
15. University of Port Harcourt
16. Abia State University
17. Akwa Ibom State University
18. Alex Ekwueme Federal University
19. Babcock University
20. Baze University
21. Bells University of Technology
22. Benson Idahosa University
23. Delta State University, Abraka
24. Edo State University
25. Edwin Clark University
26. Elizade University
27. Evangel University, Akaeze
28. Federal University of Kashere
29. Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun
30. Federal University of Technology, Minna
31. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
32. Fountain University
33. Landmark University
34. Nassarawa State University, Keffi
35. Niger Delta University
36. Plateau State University
37. Thomas Adewumi University
38. Veritas University
39. Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano

Nigerian football star, Victor Osimhen could be heading to Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

Osimhen, one of the most sought after strikers in football at the moment is wanted by Premier League giants, Chelsea and Arsenal.

But PSG are close to wrapping up a deal with Napoli for the talismanic forward, according to Caught Offside.

The French club are rumored to be willing to pay Osimhen’s entire release clause, which is estimated to be worth €120m.

In addition, they are eager to extend an offer of a four-year contract to the striker, who will make €13m a season at PSG.

Chelsea, unlike PSG, are not in a position to pay Osimhen’s entire release clause due to their financial state.

Osimhen, aged 25, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions for Napoli this season.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the Federal Government is still paying subsidy on electricity despite the recent hike in tariff paid by Band A customers.

Adelabu stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.

The minister said the government has about N1.8trn to pay in electricity subsidy for 2024.

Adelabu said the Electricity Act, 2023 made provisions for the review of tariff twice a year.

He said, “Review of tariff is actually legal once it is within the exclusive responsibility of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The Act actually provides for review twice in a year, every six months.”

“If we have been paying the tariff at the same level in the last two years, it logically means that someone has been paying the burden of all these increases.

“As it is today, looking at a total production, transmission and distribution cost, the Nigerian Government is bearing 67% percent of that cost before the increase in tariff for Band A customers.

“But when you look at generation cost, the Nigerian Government is paying 90% but in terms of total subsidy, it is about 67% of subsidy on the tariff.

“Last year, it was about N720bn which was not fully funded, we have about N305bn carried into this year. If we retain tariff at the current level, the Nigerian Government will be needing about N2.9trn to subsidise electricity but with the increase for Band A customers, we are going to have a reduction of about N1.1trn. So, we are looking at about N1.8trn in subsidy,” he said.

Recall that on April 3, 2024, NERC raised electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours power supply daily. Customers in this category are said to be under the Band A classification.

The increase will see the customers paying N225 kilowatt per hour from the current N66, a development that has been heavily criticised by many Nigerians, considering the immediacy of the tariff hike and the current hardship in the land.

But, Adelabu said, “The fact that the tariff for Band A, which is 15% of the total consumers will increase by over 200%, does not necessarily translate into 200% increase in their electricity bill if power is properly managed in terms of consumption.”

He assured Band A customers of value for their money. He also assured Nigerians that consumers on other bands won’t be shortchanged by distribution companies as the regulators won’t hesitate to wield their big stick on any of such discos.

Adelabu said the government has shifted its attention on discos inefficiently ran and won’t hold back in taking the appropriate steps in the interest of consumers.

He said by cutting down the inefficiencies of some operators in the sector, couple with the gains by the naira against the dollar in the last few weeks, tariff paid by Nigerians should moderate positively.

“The tariff is flexible and I can tell you that even if naira gains more and the exchange rate comes down below N1,000, it must positively affect the tariff and the tariff even for the Band A will come to down below the N225 kilowatt per hour that we are currently charging,” he said.

The minister further said the government has been working on ramping up power generation from about 4,000 megawatts to 6,000 megawatts in the next six months.

He said 25% of Nigeria’s power generation is from hydroelectric power while the remaining 75% is from gas plants.

The minister said “the gas that is supposed to be the raw material has not been coming in adequate proportion” but the government has been working with electricity generation companies to ramp up power generated for the benefit of Nigerians.

According to Adelabu, President Bola Tinubu administration plans to decentralise power generation across states of the federation and strengthen transmission and distribution of the energy to power Nigeria’s industrial transformation.

The impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu has said that his removal by the state House of Assembly will not stand the test of the courts, noting that the entire exercise was because of the September 21 governorship election in the state.

Shaibu stated this in a viral video released yesterday, when he received the acting State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jaret Tenebe in his Abuja residence on a solidarity and sympathy visit.

This is as the APC chieftain described the impeachment as a sham and urged Shaibu to use all legal means to upturn the action.

This position came barely 24 hours after some APC faithful in Etsako West local government area protested against a planned return of the former deputy governor to the APC.

But speaking, Shaibu said: “We have shared a lot of things both good and bad together. I am deeply humbled and happy that even this situation has brought us together as one that we are. You are one person that I have always admired, someone that I grew up with.

“The person that actually separated us has also united us and that is the beauty of what has happened. I want to assure you that as we move on, just like you said this whole thing happened between the lent and Ramadan and the lessons of lent and Ramadan are obvious. I am not ready to change my attitude, I am ready to be a friend, a loyal friend and partner.

“What has happened will not change my quest to be loyal to anybody that I will work with and I will encourage anybody to be loyal to their boss. I was a loyal person and I am still loyal, the price of loyalty is success.

“The impeachment that has happened is because God wants to open a new chapter and I see that new chapter, that new opportunity and I can assure you, my chairman.

“ I call you my chairman because you are already my chairman and I think you are also one of the reasons why they hurriedly did what they did because they know what it takes for you and I to be together and they thought they could use impeachment to get me to succumb but you know that I won’t succumb.

“I am somebody that is strong willed and when I mean something, I mean it and when I look at the whole thing, I am paying the price, I also believe that it is only the man that God impeaches that is impeached.

“By the grace of God, I know the judiciary will do the needful because it is an impeachment that I have not been served, so I want to assure you of my cooperation and my loyalty will remain my weapon and I will definitely be there at all times. I think our next target is September 21 and by the grace of God we will get there.”

Earlier, Tenebe assured Shaibu that he would not be abandoned, adding: “I am here to pay you this solidarity visit because I still regard you as the deputy governor of Edo State.

“That sham they did in the Edo state House of Assembly is a disgrace to the governor and it is an aberration to our democracy which I know that the court will not allow to stand.

“You are somebody who stood out, the price you paid is the price of loyalty, you were loyal even to the detriment of people you started with, you paid that price.”

Tenebe added: “We just celebrated Easter and we know the price Jesus Christ paid. He died for our sins, what has happened is a replica of what Jesus Christ did for humanity.

“ Today, they have removed you as the deputy governor but we still regard you as the deputy governor, it is the price that you have paid to ensure that Obaseki and his semblance are rooted out of Edo state and I can tell you that we will not allow you walk alone, we are with you in spirit.”

The Edo APC boss advised Shaibu to put on the spirit of an average Uzairue person which epitomises willpower all the time, believing that when a door closes, many are opened.

“You are a strong man and I am here as the chairman of APC in Edo state and I am also an Uzairue indigene. Where we both come from, we should be strong and I implore you to continue to pursue this matter in court and we will be with you all through and God is your strength.

“When one door is closed many more are opened and many are opened for you from today. That is what the detractors don’t know, be strong and we will match on together,” Tenebe declared.

A medical tribunal in Manchester, the United Kingdom is grilling a Nigerian cosmetic doctor, Oluwafemi ‘Tijion’ Esho, over an alleged sexual intercourse with a patient in exchange for free botox.

Botox injections are shots that use a toxin to prevent a muscle from moving for a limited period, which is used to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles, Daily Mail reports.

The British-Nigerian cosmetic surgeon, who has appeared on several popular TV programmes, was said to have admitted to an improper emotional relationship with the patient.

The woman, who is OnlyFans model, referred to as Patient A, earlier claimed she got free botox in return for sex at Esho’s clinic. She also alleged that they exchanged “inappropriate” sexual messages on Instagram.

During a recent hearing, the Medical Tribunal Practitioners Service (MPTS) found Esho exchanged toxin treatment for sex with the woman.

According to Daily Mail, the 42-year-old doctor, who has several celebrity clients, had told the tribunal he never had any physical sexual contact with Patient A.

But the panel, during sitting in Manchester, insisted Esho had sexual intercourse with the female patient at his clinic in Newcastle in 2021 and administered botox free of charge.

The tribunal also ruled that the doctor told the woman he “could get away with giving her botox in exchange for sexual services”.

The panel found that the overall conduct of the doctor was sexually motivated, but it did not find Patient A to be vulnerable because of her profession.

In response, Esho, who is the founder of the Esho Clinic, which also has locations in London, Liverpool and Dubai, said he was “disappointed” with the MPTS’ ruling.

He insisted that he only exchanged “inappropriate” sexual messages on Instagram but never had any physical sexual contact with the lady, but, however, apologised for his conduct.

“I am disappointed that the MPTS has today found against me in relation to the charges which I denied,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Throughout the hearing and investigation, with which I have cooperated fully, I stressed that I deeply regretted the mistakes which I made in engaging in communications with Patient A, and I admitted to the charges which related to those serious errors of judgement.

“I am truly sorry for those actions, and apologise to everyone I let down as a result. However, I have always been clear that whilst my conduct in communicating with Patient A was wrong, I repeat categorically that it never crossed over into any physical sexual contact.

“Whilst I respect the MPTS and the process, I do not agree with its decision. My life’s work has been and will remain focused on helping people. I remain dedicated fully to this purpose. I am incredibly grateful to my patients and friends who supported me throughout this incredibly difficult period.”

The panel will reconvene later this month to establish if Esho’s misconduct will endanger his fitness to practice.

The Accord Party urged the Federal Government to enhance its efforts in stabilizing commodity prices in the country, emphasizing that the appreciation of the naira against the US dollar is not mirrored in commodity prices.

The Lagos State Chairman of the Party, Mr Dele Oladeji, made the call in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Lagos.

Oladeji said Nigerians were seriously anticipating a reversal of rising prices of consumer goods and food items in the country.

He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to look into all contributory factors causing inflation and intensify efforts at stabilising the prices of commodities.

“To crash the prices of consumer goods and food items, the plethora of high import duties, levies and fees at the port, road and markets have to be revisited, reviewed, slashed or removed.

“Many Nigerians have always wondered why the price of goods are not reducing to reflect the crash in the dollar rate against the naira.

“The reason is that the dollar rate is just one of the several factors that affect trade and production.

“Without a slash in or removal where necessary, of persisting high import duties on production materials and machinery; with the high levies and fees from local governments on goods on transit; warehouses and those in markets; prices of consumer goods will remain high and continue to rise, in reaction to these plethora high fees and levies,” Oladeji said.

According to him, a cursory tax holiday and rebate to some manufacturers are only enriching the hyper-rich industrialists, with zero impact on the general populace.

”Such tax rebates and tax holidays should come with a conditional agreement to subsidise prices of the produce.

”The FG has to look more into and resolve these other contributory factors to create respite and a reversal of rising prices in consumer goods and food items,” he said.

The Labour Party has faulted plans by the Federal Government to toll the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

According to the party, the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress administration is clearly not tired of “inflicting pains, suffering and misery on ordinary Nigerians. “

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said this in Abuja, on Thursday.

He was responding to a pronouncement by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, that road users are to pay N3000 (three thousand ) Naira per toll gate per trip.

Ifoh said, “This administration’s policies have over the last one year have been targeted at making the poor poorer and the rich richer at the expense of hardworking, but poorly remunerated citizens.

“First, it was the the poorly executed fuel subsidy removal policy without a buffer.

“While we are still trying to deal with the hardship imposed by all of this, the government increased electricity tariffs!

“It is not longer news that this policy is largely responsible for the galloping inflation, rising poverty and the volatility of the Naira against major foriegn currencies.

“Obviously not satisfied with the suffering this has inflicted on Nigerians, the Minister of Works just announced a decision to toll the 700 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.

“Vehicles plying the road are expected to pay a whopping N3000 toll gate, per trip.

“All of these has not stopped the administration from reckless borrowing most of these borrowed funds end up being looted by officials with itchy fingers.”

Ifoh further said, “The various financial scandals involving ministers and other government officials attest to this fact.

“If we May ask, how much is the national minimum wage?

“We can’t continue to run our economy like an exploitative business enterprise.

“At the rate, this administration is going, Nigerians will soon start paying for the air we breathe.”

His passing is national loss

Abia to immortalise first governor

President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, have described the passing of former Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ogbonnaya Onu as a huge national loss.

The duo, who in collaboration with Onu engineered the birth of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),were joined in mourning the Ebonyi State-born statesman by Governors Alex Otti(Abia), Francis Nwifuru(Ebonyi), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Others who lamented the death of Onu included APC National Working Committee (NWC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu; former Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Onu, the first governor of old Abia State and a first class Chemical Engineering graduate of the University of Lagos, Akoka, died an Abuja hospital yesterday. He was 72.

He had been out of circulation since he lost the APC presidential ticket in 2022. The Nation gathered that Onu had been shuttling between Nigeria and the United States(US) due to a lingering throat-related ailment.

A source said after his recent return from the US , the ailment worsened, necessitating his hospitalisation ahead of a fresh trip to the US.

A statement by a member of his family, Uzoma Onu, which announced the former minister’s demise, was silent on the cause. It said the family was “filled with sorrow” over the development.

The statement recalled that Onu, who was the first Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Governors (now Nigerian Governors’ Forum), resigned as minister during Buhari’s second tenure after seven years.

It partly reads: “ In total submission to the will of the Almighty God, the family of His Royal Highness, the Late Eze David Aba Onu, Eze Adu of Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State announces the death of our distinguished son, His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

“He was the former National Chairman/National Leader of defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He initiated and facilitated discussions that finally resulted in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that has been the ruling political party in the country since May 29, 2015.

“ He was a fine statesman, party leader, political strategist, brilliant scholar, outstanding intellectual, public speaker, teacher, lecturer, inventor, researcher, consultant, engineer, youth mobiliser, accomplished administrator, prolific author and poet, a man of great ideas as well as a distinguished man of exceptional principle, integrity, discipline and exemplary character.

“He will be greatly missed by all who knew him for a long time to come.”

In their separate reactions, Tinubu and Buhari described Onu as a “ luminous star in Nigeria’s political firmament and intellectual giant.”

Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, and Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesman, made these known.

Ngelale’s statement reads: “President Bola Tinubu extends his deepest condolences to the Onu family over the passing of Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, CON.

“Chief Onu passed away on Thursday at the age of 72.

“The President mourns a luminous star in Nigeria’s political firmament. The first civilian governor of Abia State; former minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, a principal draughtsman in the founding of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and a valiant partner in the victory of the party in the 2015 elections.

“Most importantly, the President celebrates the life of an accomplished scholar, first-class engineer; a man of proven integrity; defiant to indiscipline, but ever yielding to the highest standards of rectitude.

“President Tinubu affirms that Chief Onu epitomises Nigeria in concord; in wholeness, as the late statesman believed in and defended Nigeria’s unity, advocated peace, and promoted fellowship across the Niger.

“The President also condoles with the friends and associates of Chief Onu, Ebonyi and Abia State Governments, and all Nigerians grieving this gaping loss.

“President Tinubu prays to God Almighty to grant repose to the gentle soul of this great leader.”

Buhari, according to Shehu , said Nigeria has lost one of its most outstanding scientific minds and intellectuals.

“Former President Muhammadu Buhari joins family members of the deceased and the entire nation in mourning the demise of a notable politician, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the first civilian governor of Abia State and former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under his administration.

“He was an intellectual giant. My heart goes out to his family, the government and people of Ebonyi and Abia states as well as the country at large. May his soul rest in peace.”

FEC, in a statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), said the former minister was a detribalised Nigerian and a statesman who believed in the unity of Nigeria.

It commiserated with the government, people of Ebonyi State and the Onu family and prayed to God to grant the soul of the departed eternal repose.”

“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, CON, on behalf of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), mourns the death of the former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, aged, 72.

“He made giant and unprecedented strides in revolutionising the ministry into a scientific and technological hub of Africa by promoting innovations and invention for nation building,” the office .

Otti, Uzodimma, Nwifuru, others express shock

Governors Otti, Uzodimma and Nwifuru, who described the death of Onu as shocking, said Nigeria would miss his political contributions and interventions.

“Onu is one of such living statesmen with the character, carriage and statesmanly disposition required to reposition the nation for the better.

“Even though he held public offices, both as a governor and minister respectively at difficult times, he was never associated with conducts or controversies capable of diminishing his reputation and personality.

“We are therefore, saddened by his demise at a time his contributions and interventions were needed in Nigeria,” Otti said.

The governor promised to immortalise him by ensuring that the democratic journey he started in Abia as a civilian governor many years ago was advanced to a level where the well-being of Abians would be made an institutionalised priority.

Uzodimma said that Onu would be remembered as a leading light in the APC family having, for many years, imbibed the tenets of progressive democracy as the easiest route to serve the people.

The governor condoled with the APC family, President Tinubu, Nigeria, Southeast and its people over the development.

Governor Nwifuru lamented in a terse statement that Ebonyi State had lost an illustrious son.

“His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, was a thoroughbred politician and an advocate of justice and fairness. It is indeed a sad development losing a patriotic leader who stopped at nothing at rendering best services to his people when he served in different capacities,” Nwifuru said

He extended his heartfelt condolences to Onu’s immediate family and prayed God to give them fortitude to bear the loss.

The Chairman of the Ebonyi APC, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said: “The news is a sad one, we all know that he was sick sometime and has recovered, we didn’t know that he was going to die so unexpectedly.

“There is nothing we can do , he has contributed his quota to the building of nation. He also contributed heavily to the creation of Ebonyi and has been playing advisory role in Ebonyi and APC.”

It’s a big blow, says APC

APC’s NWC described Onu’s passing as a big loss to the party and the country, saying Nigeria will miss his contributions and interventions in national politics.

“During the merger, he was one of the founding fathers of the party and remained a party man until his death. He was a big wig of the party in the Southeast. We will miss him so much,” said APC’s National Vice Chairman (South-East) Ijeoma Arodiogbu.

“He had been ill for a while and had not been seen in public circle, “Arodiogbu added.

Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru also said: “He was a gentleman, focused and very deliberate. Everything we know about life is a continuum. He has run his race and gone to his maker. We can only continue to wish for his soul to be at rest wherever he is.”

Obi, Kalus, Jibrin, Abaribe, Onyejeocha Obasa extol Onu’s virtues

Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, described Onu’s death as a “significant loss to the nation.”

Obi noted that “Onu was as a patriotic and inclusive Nigerian leader” who served the nation diligently in various capacities.

“The late Dr. Onu epitomised leadership characterised by a commitment to peace, progress, and justice.

“He courageously championed equity and good governance, leaving a lasting impact on our nation,” he said.

Former Governor of Abia State, Senator Kalu, in a condolence message, said that Onu was a frontline politician, author and an engineer who made invaluable contributions to nation –building.

Jibrin, Benjamin Kalu, Abaribe, Onyejeocha and Obasa also extolled the virtues of the late elderstatesman, saying he was a role mode and a consummate patriot who left indelible footprints in the nation’s political space