The Senate on Thursday abruptly adjourned plenary in honour of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu who represented Imo North in the Senate.
Uwajumogu died on Wednesday.
The adjournment followed a motion to that effect by the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya.
A minute silence was observed in honour of the deceased while the suspension of the plenary and other legislative activities for the day were suspended.
The Senate would however hold plenary on Friday.
To be able to do that, the legislative house suspended Order 13.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan and his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege, had earlier issued statements to express their sadness over the death of their colleague.
Lawan commiserated with the family of the deceased Senator and the government and people of Imo State over the tragic loss.
Lawan also condoled with senators and friends of the departed senator.
He recalled that Senator Uwajumogu was full of life at the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, which made the news of his death even more difficult to take.
“But God gives and takes in line with his supreme sovereignty so we cannot question His will.
“Senator Uwajumogu’s sudden death is shocking and a painful loss to the ninth National Assembly where he always made robust contributions to the debates and other activities of the Upper legislative chamber. He will be greatly missed by all of us his colleagues and staff of the Senate,” Lawan said.
In a similar vein, Omo-Agege, in a statement by media aide, Mr. Yomi Odunuga, sympathized with the late senator’s family and the people he represented.
“His death is a matter of deep personal loss for me. My dear friend representing Imo North Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, a co-member of the APC which he was helping to entrench in the South East, died as an intellectual, a political giant, a successful businessman and a philanthropist par excellence.
“He was a devout Christian who passionately shared in our party’s vision for reforms and populist development that can positively impact on many lives now and in the future.
“He lived and died as a great ambassador of the Uwajumogu family of Umuihi-Ihitte/ Uboma LGA in Okigwe zone of Imo State to the world. At the age of 25 in 1990, he was the pioneer Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his local government area and in 2011, he became Speaker of Imo state House of Assembly.
“The practical application of his studies in the USA and France, along with his good works were part of what culminated into his being given the “Industrialist of the Year, 2000” award by the Abia State Chapter of the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Guardian Newspaper’s ‘Integrity and Credibility’ award and the ‘Paul Harris Fellow’ award by the Rotary Club International, Enugu District.
“More importantly, he was a good family man and I pray that God grants his wife, Eileen and children the strength to bear such irreparable loss,” Omo-Agege stated.
