Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has notified the leadership of the National Assembly of the passing of his kinsman and federal lawmaker in the Second Republic, Senator Gbene Cyrus Nunieh.
Abe who gave the notification in a motion on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, said late Nunieh represented Rivers State in the Nigerian Senate under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from 1979 to 1983.
He described the late sage as a reservour of wisdom whose courageous voice led to the enactment of many useful laws and policies for the country.
Senator Abe said late Nunieh who died at the age of 87 was a crusader of the rights of the people and life patron of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP.
The motion reads, “Mr. President, Distinguished colleagues, I rise to move a motion on the passing of one of our own, a former member of this House, late Senator Gbene Cyrus Nunieh, who represented Rivers State in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from 1979 to 1983”.
“Mr. President, my Distinguished colleagues, I wish to respectfully bring to your notice the passing of the late Gbene Senator Cyrus Nunieh who left this world on the 18th day of August, 2018, at the age of 87”.
“Senator Nunieh was elected as Senator to represent Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Oyigbo, Andoni, Okrika, Opobo and Bonny Local Government Areas of Rivers State in this hallowed Chambers in the Second Republic”.
“He was a reservoir of wisdom whose courageous voice lent credence to many useful laws and policies in this great nation”.
“He was 87 years old at the time of his passing, and he served in the Senate with such great minds as the late Senator Wayas who was President of the Senate then under the leadership at that time of the father of the present President of the Senate, Senator Saraki”.
“Senator Nunieh was an advocate, champion and crusader of the rights of oppressed people and was a life patron of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)”.
“Interestingly his submission that the Imo River be the natural boundary between Rivers State and Imo State was upheld by the Justice Nasir Commission of Inquiry in 1976”.
“Senator Nunieh was an eminent legal practitioner who served his state, Rivers State in several other capacities. He headed several commissions of inquiry and contributed so much to the development of the legal profession in Rivers State and in Nigeria in general”.
‘”He was chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt branch and in that capacity presented several papers both at national and international fora”.
“He was a very great father with several children and it’s on record that just last year he got married again at the age of over 86 years and was living happily with his wife at the time of his passing”.
“He was a great Nigerian, a committed patriot, a great Senator and a man of many parts. He was a grassroots politician who was active in politics from the time of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) through to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where he served and indeed contested as one of the aspirants for the Presidency of this country under the banner of the PDP”.
“He was a friend of mine, a mentor, a supporter and indeed he was one of those who came to the Senate here to meet with the Senate President and the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution to submit the request for the creation of Bori State”.
“Mr. President, my Distinguished colleagues, I want to urge this noble Senate to observe a minute silence in his honour and send a delegation to commiserate and condole, not only the Rivers State Government, not only the people of this great Senatorial District, not only the people of Ogoni but indeed also his family”.
“Thank you very much Mr. President and thank you very much my Distinguished colleagues for giving me your attention,” Senator Magnus Abe said in his motion.
