Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has described the late Paul Unongo as a statesman who believed in a progressives Nigeria.
Newsonline reports that the second republic minister of steel development died at the age of 87 years after a brief illness according to his family.
Paul Unongo hails from Jato Aka in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
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In his condolence message, Adewole recounted his last engagement with the former minister, stating that the second republic politician was dissatisfied with Nigeria development.
He wrote, “I mourn elder Statesman, Wantaregh, Paul Iyorpuu Unongo who has died in Jos. This scion of Kwaghngise-Anure-Abera ancestry of Turan, Kwande LGA of Benue State did all he could to industrialize Nigeria and unify our people. I saw him days back and I knew days left were few. Adieu.
“All efforts I made to get Baba to talk were only met with humming of heavenly songs and soft smiles of an undefeated, unrelenting energetic spirit trapped in an ailing mortal body. If the dreams of Paul Unongo had come to pass, Nigeria would have been today, an industrial giant.
“I managed to assure Baba that we had not dropped the baton and the race continues despite headwinds and distracted leadership in today’s Nigeria. Wherever we choose to bury Paul Unongo, Ajaokuta Steel Complex would always be his cenotaph. And the burial ground of our steely dreams.”
