Senator Ngige Loses Father

The father former governor of Anambra State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ozo Akunnia Pius Okonkwo Ngige, has died.

In a statement issued yesterday, by the former senator that represented Anambra Central senatorial district, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, the father died last Friday at the age of 105 years in his home town, Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

According to the statement, the late Chief Pius Ngige was born in 1910 in his home town Alor and started his life career as an Assistant Foreman Building (carpentry) rising to the post of Supervisor Building (carpentry) in the then Public Works Department (P.W.D) of the Eastern Regional Colonial Government.

He was in the team that worked with the colonial masters to build many Health Centres, under the One Health Center Per Village Scheme especially in the then old Onitsha Province of Eastern Region. He retired from the service in 1958 having disagreed with the British Senior Engineers on some fundamental labour issues about the treatment being meted to Nigerian junior workers and artisans.

He became self employed in 1959 and operated his private business as P.O Ngige and Sons Enterprises a Building Engineering Firm. He was the Co-founder and Treasurer of the indigenous Federated Association of Nigerian Contractors, East Central State Branch in 1971.

A devout Christian of the Catholic faith. Akunnia was a prominent community leader in his community, Alor especially in the area of community development.

He is survived by many children, grand children and great grand children among whom are Ugodinobi Edwin Ngige, Mrs. Bernadette Nwachukwu, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State, Lady Felicia Obiefuna, a United States-based immigration attorney, Mrs. Maryrose Ozee Nwadike and Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), a Lagos-based legal practitioner.

The statement further said that funeral arrangements would be announced later by the family.




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