Senator Ngige Loses Father at age of 105 as Obiano condoles him

 www.odogwublog.com reports that former Senator Chris Ngige has lost his father Ozo Akunnia Pius Okonkwo Ngige. Ngige represented Anambra Central senatorial district in the senate.
Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a statement issued saying his 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.
Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano has extended condolences to former Anambra State Governor, Senator Chris Ngige on the death of his father, Ozo Akunnia Pius Okonkwo Ngige, saying it was a loss for the State as a whole.

In a condolence message to the Ngige family, Chief Obiano said that the death of their patriarch at the ripe age of 105 did not dilute the fact of their bereavement. Describing the deceased as a man of noble mind and uncommon teacher in the school of life, he urged the Ngige family to reconcile themselves to the vacuum attendant on his departure.

Parts of the message read: ‘There is always the sobering effect of the loss of human life. The death of someone close to us brings with it a certain feeling of hollowness and inevitably, searching questions about the purpose of earthly life. The age of your deceased father does not diminish the fact of your bereavement.

We share with the Ngige family the loss of your patriarch. When we encounter a learned man, we want to know the kind of books he read. In the same vein, we want to know the mentor[s] of a great man.
This is why we pay homage to the late Pius Ngige under whose formation you acquired the traits that saw you to greatness.  The good memories of your exemplary public service to the State and the nation at large are therefore tributes to the parenthood that nurtured you.

Thus, we honour the life of a man of noble spirit, an uncommon teacher in the complex school of life, a humanist, silent achiever and community leader. Longevity is a special blessing reserved only for a few so know he was a man favoured by God. 

In the fullness of God’s mercy and love, late Pius has not died. Let us keep alive his legacies as he transits to the eternal realm to rest from his labours.’