The Senate, on Wednesday, held a valedictory session in honour of late Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, who died in December 2019.
Until his death, Senator Uwajumogu, represented Imo North Senatorial District in the Red Chamber.
He was also the senate committee chairman on Labour and employment.
Uwajumogu, who was first elected into the senate in 2017, was reelected in 2019.
He was the speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015.
He hailed from the Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area of Imo state.
The Senate dedicated Wednesday’s plenary to pay tributes to the late lawmaker, whose death was described as a great loss not only to the Red Chamber but also people of Imo.
The tributes followed a motion by the Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi, “That the Senate do pay tributes in honour of Late Senator Benjamin Chukwuemeka Uwajumogu (Imo North) (30th June, 1965 – 18th December, 2019)”
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege described the late Senator Uwajumogu as “my compatriot in rebellion.”
Omo-Agege recalled the roles both of them played on the ammendment of the Electoral Act in the eighth Senate and the reactions that trailed the introduction of a section that altered the sequence of elections.
He said “Big Ben and I shared so much in common. We shared common ideals. We believed in so many things together.
“Everybody knows what transpired in the eighth Senate. Call us rebels if you like. In the eighth Senate, big Ben and I played critical role in our committee on INEC. We worked very closely in putting together ammendment to the Electoral Act.
“But just as we are about to triumphantly claimed victory, that we have concluded our work that we believed will positively impact on our electoral process, we were thrown in, what in sports called a curved ball with the introduction of a section in the amended electoral act that would have altered the sequence of elections.
“We were vehemently opposed to that, and we didn’t hesitate in stating our vehements against that proposed section.
“He was my compatriot in that enterprise. If you like call it rebellion. He was my compatriot in that rebellion.
“When I was threatened with suspension, Senator Uwajumogu and some others took a position that even though they were not threatened with suspension, if Senator Omo-Agege will be suspended, they also will want to be suspended.”
He said though the late Uwajumogu was gifted with many blessings, he was denied longevity.
Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe called him “a bigman with a big heart”. He was very accommodating and worked with younger generations who saw him as an icon to look up to. Ben made his mark on earth and would be missed dearly,” Abaribe added.
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