Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, has paid tribute to the former President of the Institute of Governance and Social Research, IGSR and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Jos, late Jonah Isawa-Elaigwu who passed away on July 23 in Jos, Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria.
In a condolence message at Professor Elaigwu’s funeral service in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday, Governor Alia described the deceased as an “illustrious son” of the state and “a tall figure in the academic world.”
He noted that the famed professor of political science made his mark in nation-building through “teaching, research, public lectures and publications.”
Similarly, the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode, represented by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Edeh Ogwuche, said the deceased left an indelible mark in the academia, “shaping minds and informing policies rooted in justice, equity and altruism.
“As a distinguished scholar of political science and international relations, his voice resonated in academic halls, policy fora, inspiring countless individuals to pursue excellence, integrity, and service,” Dr. Ode said.
In his funeral oration, the Deputy Governor recalled the late scholar’s contribution in bridging the gap between the tiers of government aimed at deepening federalism.
Immediate-past Deputy Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, said the late academic inspired him and generations of scholars to pursue their dreams.
We were looking up to Professor Elaigwu because of his academic brilliance. He contributed to the development of federalism in Nigeria, particularly during the military government of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,” he recalled.
The officiating minister at the funeral service and Archbishop of the Methodist Church in Benue State, Most Reverend Joshua Ngbede, urged Christians to imbibe the virtues of love and forgiveness which Christ embodied.
One of the highlights of the event was a rendition by students of the Isawa Memorial Academy for their beloved proprietor.
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Students dressed in their colourful uniforms lined the hilly way to the Academy as pallbearers conveyed Professor Elaigwu’s remains in a brown casket to the funeral grounds.
In line with his death wish, the late professor was interred in the precinct of the school as his bereaved children and relatives wept uncontrollably.
The national burial committee of the late Elaigwu, led by Professor Sunday Ochoche, led dignitaries including Justice Ejembi Eko; a retired justice of Nigeria’s Supreme Court Air Vice-Marshal Monday Morgan (Rtd), and academics from the University of Jos, where Professor Elaigwu spent most of his academic life.
Earlier, nights of tributes were held in the deceased honour in Abuja and Jos where former Nigerian Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and two ex-Presidents of the Senate, David Mark and Iyorchia Ayu, paid glowing tributes to Professor Elaigwu for the remarkable life he lived.
At the tribute to the deceased 77-year-old academic in Abuja, Victoria Elaigwu said their father was an “accomplished international scholar who mentored several younger scholars.”
Born in 1948, Professor Elaigwu served as a teacher, researcher, and adviser to successive governments in Nigeria.
He was globally recognised for his expertise in federalism, political stability, and democratic governance.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
