he Abia State government has renamed the Abia State Polytechnic after late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the first democratically elected governor of the state.
The move is said to honour Onu’s remarkable legacy in politics, which spanned multiple roles, including Minister of the Federal Republic, the National Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), presidential candidate, and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The institution will now be known as Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, the state government said.
Governor Alex Otti made the declaration on Thursday, at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia during an inter-denominational service held in Onu’s honour.
The renamed polytechnic is a public institution established in 1992, offering various programmes in fields like science, engineering, business administration, and more.
Eulogising the late former Minister, Otti said, “Dr Onu did not only lay the foundation for the dynamic and structured development of all parts of the state, he set up major administrative and service-delivery structures that are still functioning till today.
“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s administrative genius inspired the setting up of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba, the Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, and the National Ambassador Newspaper.
“It is also important to recall that it was under Governor Onu that the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, now Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU), was established.
“It is on this note distinguished ladies and gentlemen that we as a State have decided to immortalize him by renaming the Abia State Polytechnic Aba after him.”
“The Polytechnic will henceforth, be known as as Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba,” Otti added.
