OUR REPORTERS
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has described the passing of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dubem Onyia as “a loss that cuts deep”.
He described him as “a bosom friend, a trusted political ally, and a man whose footprints in grassroots politics remain indelible.”
In a statement released in Abuja Tuesday, the Wazirin Adamawa detailed how he navigated the treacherous tides of political struggle with the late Minister, forging a bond strengthened over the years by shared trials and triumphs.
According to him, Dubem was not merely a colleague as both of them were contemporaries in the Peoples Democratic Movement, the crucible from which the Peoples Democratic Party was born. “His loss cuts deep, for we held common aspirations for Nigeria — dreams that remain unfulfilled.”
In a similar tribute, former presidential aspirant, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, described the death of Dubem Onyia as a monumental loss to Nigeria and the nation’s political landscape.
In a statement on Tuesday, Olawepo-Hashim hailed the late Minister as an “excellent gentleman, a consummate organizer, a former federal legislator, and an outstanding democrat.”
Back home in Enugu State, two community leaders in his native Ngwo community, reflected on the passing of their illustrious son.
Professor Okey Oji who reflected on the life of the late Onyia, described him as a man with great soul and love for his fellow man. “He was a friend and mentor to many and he impacted a great deal on people around him.”
Giving an insight into the man’s last days, Prof. Oji said he still looked forward to a better Nigeria and was still looking forward for an opportunity to help make it better.
Barrister Richard Agu, a Prince of Ngwo community, said “Dubem Onyia was not just a dependable elder brother, he was a treasured son whom the people of Ngwo gifted the nation.
Prince Agu
He recalled late Onyia’s upbringing and his journey across Nigeria and described him as a detribalized man with Pan-Nigerian disposition. “An Igbo man, his early childhood was spent as a railway worker’s son in Ibadan where Yoruba became his first language as were his earliest childhood friends. He was trained and polished in England and it was in the Northern part of Nigeria he built lifelong friendships and learnt to speak Hausa. His politics was of the Shehu Yar’Adua pan Nigerian vision”.
Agu, who retired as Director of Administration in the Presidency, said he was among the many who benefitted from the late Onyia’s large heart, adding that the many men and women he mentored in his lifetime would rue his passing with great sadness.
