You Offered Wisdom, Vision That Surpassed Divides – Tinubu Hails Unongo

President Bola Tinubu has described the late former Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo, as a man who offered wisdom and vision that surpassed ethnic and religious divides.

President Tinubu said Pa Unongo’s death was a great loss for Nigeria, the North, and the people of Benue State.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the state burial ceremony, on Tuesday, Tinubu stated that his burial is a celebration of a well-lived and well-secured legacy.

Born on September 26, 1935, Wantaregh Unongo, a former Minister of Steel Development in the Second Republic, died on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at the age of 87.

“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,” Tinubu said.

He added that he was an exceptional man, “to write a manual on managing excellence,” recalling that from his early days “as a brilliant psychologist revolutionizing academia in Nigeria to his dedication to national service, Pa Unongo’s life testifies to the heights that vision, discipline, and determination can achieve“.

Speaking on his time as NEF Chairman, he emphasized that Unongo served the group with grace and integrity.

“As others aged into quiet retirement, Pa Unongo chose a more arduous path. He became a unifier, a voice for the collective, and a champion of regional harmony. As Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), succeeding the revered Alhaji Maitama Sule, he shouldered a weight few could carry.

“In a region often defined by its complexity and diversity, he offered wisdom, tact, and a vision of unity that transcended ethnic and religious divides. It was no small feat to speak for such a multifaceted region, yet he did so with grace and integrity.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we do not gather here to mourn alone. This is a celebration of a life well-lived, a legacy well-secured. Pa Unongo’s choices—from his groundbreaking academic career to his principled and courageous political journey—are treasures that no earthly wealth can rival,” he noted.

Tinubu continued, “We gather here not just to mourn the passing of a great man but to celebrate the monumental life of Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo. He came, he saw, and he left indelible marks on our nation’s history.

“As an academic trailblazer, an intellectual giant, and a politician who often sacrificed personal comfort for the safety and progress of his people, Pa Unongo lived not for himself but for the betterment of others.”

Earlier, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, 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 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.

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.

On his part, the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi said Unongo was a man who lived for truth.

“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 realise that there is nothing better than standing for the truth in the interest of the entire country,” he said.