Prof. Saawua Gabriel Nyityo, Worldwide President of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association (UIAA), says the death of Senator (Prof.) Jonathan Silas Zwingina, a member of the UIAA Board of Trustee (BoT), is shocking and devastating.
Nyityo stated this yesterday in Abuja, at the Night of Tribute in honour of the distinguished Nigerian, statesman and former representative of the good people of the Southern Senatorial District of Adamawa State, who was confirmed dead on Wednesday, 2nd October 2024 at the age of 70.
Noting that Zwingina’s remarkable contributions to UIAA will forever embody his memory in his condolences, the UIAA Worldwide President stated that the late politician has left a great void in the Advisory of UIAA and the political structure of Adamawa State.
Commiserating with the late politician’s spouse, Dr. Christy Zwingina, Nyityo asserted that “The deceased Patriarch was an epitome of humility and wisdom who dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity having had a very successful career in politics as a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. UIAA is indeed proud of him for upholding the University of Ibadan (UI) tradition of excellence and for his invaluable contributions to the Association as a member of Board of Trustees. His legacy of integrity, courage and abiding faith in God are the torch that he lit while on earth with us.
“We also would like to acknowledge the important role he played in his service to the nation at large. We pray that the Almighty God will grant the entire Zwingina family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. May the good Lord grant his soul eternal rest.”
Sen Zwingina’s contribution to Nigeria’s development spans across several sectors of our nation’s life: He was a Scholar, Technocrat, Public Servant and Politician of high repute, who left an indelible mark on our nation’s history.
He was a leading voice in the struggle for democracy, and was the Director General of the late MKO Abiola’s Hope 93 Campaign Organization during the iconic June 12th 1993
Presidential Election.
His intellectual depth, eloquence and unwavering commitment to democratic ideals resonated deeply with Nigerians.
While in the Senate, he was a vocal advocate of due process, promoter of national development priorities with particular emphasis on policy, good governance, the oversight role of the parliament in government accountability to the people, among others.
Prior to his time in the National Assembly, Zwingina played a pivotal role in shaping
national discourse as a Director of the Mass Mobilization for Social Justice, Self-Reliance, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) program during the President Ibrahim Babaginda military administration.