Posted by We have lost a trailblazer and leader of incalculable value, said Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue State, in expressing his deep sorrow over the passing of a distinguished figure, Dr. Paul Iorpuu Unongo.
In a moving tribute to Unongo, who passed away on November 29, 2022, at the age of 87, Ortom said that the leading nationalist was a father figure who fought for the liberation of common people without regard to their ancestry or religion.
The Governor emphasized Pa Unongo’s leadership role in Nigeria’s political development and noted that he served as a mentor to many modern leaders who had great ideas for the sociopolitical and economic advancement of the nation.
“In Pa Unongo, our Iroko tree has fallen,” he declared. He is one of the last political icons in Nigeria whose contributions to the nation’s politics from the time of independence until the present day cannot be measured. A respected leader and mentor has left Benue State. His passing has left a void that will be challenging to fill.
We will miss his intelligence, brilliant ideas, oratory skills, and enormous capacity for organizing and mobilizing the populace.
However, Governor Ortom expressed solace in the fact that Pa Unongo’s contributions to philanthropy, pan-Nigerianism, and patriotism will live on.
He made a commitment that Benue State would take the necessary steps to honor Pa Unongo for his selfless service and contributions to the state’s development.
God grant the departed eternal rest and the immediate family the strength to bear the loss, he prayed.
November 30, 2022, Nathaniel Ikyur, Chief Press Secretary