Alex Otti, the Abia State Governor, expressed shock and sadness over the death of Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the first civilian governor of the old Abia state who died on Thursday.

He declared that the deceased will be immortalise.

Before the creation of Ebonyi out of the old Abia and Enugu states, Onu was the state governor.

He was declared dead at the age of 72 on Thursday.

The statement read, “Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu was a gentleman and statesman with rich experience and wealth of knowledge, and was very outstanding in his character, comportment and engagements.

“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 statesmanly contributions and interventions were needed in Nigeria.”

Otti, also vowed that the state would honour and immortalise Onu by ensuring that the democratic journey he started in Abia as a civilian governor years ago is advanced to a level where the welfare and well-being of Abians would be made an institutionalised priority at all times.

He called on politicians to emulate Onu’s model of decency, decorum, and contentment in public service as a way of ensuring sanity in our national politics.

He condoled with the Onu family, the government and people of Ebonyi and the Federal government while he prayed  to God to grant Onu’s soul eternal repose in his bosom, and his family, the fortitude to bear the loss.