Senator Ngige's father dies at 105

Pa Akunnia Pius Okonkwo Ngige, father of Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, is dead.

He was aged 105, a statement by the former Anambra State Governor said.

According to the statement, Pa Akunnia was a devout Christian and a prominent community leader.

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 Centers, 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 & 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 amongst whom are Ugodinobi Edwin Ngige, Barrister (Mrs.) Bernadette Nwachukwu, Senator (Dr.) 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