Some 48 hours after the announcement of the death of General(rtd) Godwin Osagie Abbe his widow, Patience Eniye, has been receiving condolence visits from all around the country. Their palatial residence in Etete, a suburb of Benin City, witnessed a large traffic of sympathisers who thronged the place to offer their last respects to the memory of the ex-Akwa Ibom and Rivers State Governor.
Tributes poured in as the symphatisers recalled the life and times of the amiable retired military officer turned politician.
According to his childhood friend, Festus Ruppee, who is a former staff of the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL), publishers of the Nigerian Observer newspaper, “he was an accomplished soldier. He always told us from childhood that whatever you want to do be the best in it. And he manifested it in his life time. He impacted many lives. We pray God to accept his soul and grant his family the fortitude to bear this loss.”
Osarunmwunse Abbe, his fifth son, said: “Daddy was a great guy. One thing that he used to say is don’t worry, dear. I will really miss him.
In his own submission, Jefferson Uwughiaren, a lawyer, said: “he is one of the very few quintessential politicians and political leaders from Edo State and more or less Nigeria. We started collaborating right from the amnesty period when he was Minister of Defence under President Yaradua.
“To a large extent his intervention took a lot of people from the creeks to the ivory tower. He didn’t use that programme to enrich the Benin people even though we had some people who were agitating in Edo State which is part of the Nigerian Delta. He saw beyond the issues that some persons were parochially canvassing and enabled Nigerians to really address the pains of some communities and tribes.”
Meanwhile, the corpse of the late military officer arrived Benin City on Monday from Abuja where he died after an operation. His family is yet to fix a date for his burial.
In the Nigerian Army he was promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1967, Lieutenant in 1969, and subsequently appointments as Battalion Commander, Instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy, and Staff Officer Grade I.
Abbe became General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army; Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Commander, National War College. He retired in 1999 with the rank of major general.
He was military governor of Akwa Ibom State (1988–1990) and Rivers State (1990–1991).
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