Second Republic Minister, Paul Unongo, Dies At 87

Elder statesman and former minister of Steel Development in the Second Republic, Wantaregh Paul Unongo is dead.

Unongo hails from Jato Aka in Kwande Local Government Area of  Benue State. He died yesterday morning in Jos, the Plateau State capital at the age of 87.

He was born on 26 September, 1935.

He was a strong politician and aspired to govern Benue State in 1983 but lost to Aper Aku of blessed memory.

In 2017, Unongo succeeded Maitama Sule as the chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum. Until his death, he was the chairman of the Governing Council of Nigerian Educational Research Development Council.

A close family source, who confirmed his death to reporters on the phone in Makurdi on Tuesday, simply said that his death would be announced in due course.

He said, “Paul Unongo died today (Tuesday) but I cannot say more than that because I am not authorised to do so. But our family will issue a formal statement on the development.”