By Chesa Chesa
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday, extolled the virtues of the late former Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo, saying he demonstrated that leadership can transcend time and generations.
Born on September 26, 1935, Dr. Unongo, a former Minister of Steel Development in the Second Republic, died at the age of 87, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. His remains were interred on Tuesday.
Paying glowing tribute to the late elder statesman during the funeral ceremony in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Shettima offered heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that Dr. Unongo’s burial is a celebration of a life well-lived, and a legacy well-secured.
The VP drew solace from the notion that even though he departed at the venerable age of 87, Unongo was fortunate enough to witness the fruits of his labour in his lifetime.
“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,” the Vice President observed.
In VP Shettima’s calculation, 87 years were enough for Unongo, whom he described as an exceptional man, “to write a manual on managing excellence,” recalling that from his early days “as a brilliant psychologist revolutionising academia in Nigeria to his dedication to national service, Pa Unongo’s life testifies to the heights that vision, discipline, and determination can achieve”.
Senator Shettima reflected on Dr. Unungo’s stewardship as Chairman of NEF, pointing out that the deceased carried on his shoulder a weight only a few could bear.
He said Dr. Unongo was not just a scholar or a politician but was also “a statesman in the truest sense” who put the needs of his people and his nation above every other thing.
The VP stated: “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.”
