By Emma Amaize, Samuel Oyadongha, Gab Ejuwa & Perez Brisibe

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Great  Ogboru, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC and  member representing Bomadi/Patani federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Nicholas Mutu, have described the death of former acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Pastor Power Aginighan, as shocking and irreplaceable.

Elder Aginighan, an Ijaw leader and chieftain of APC in Delta State, in company of his son and orderly, were reported killed in an auto crash on the East-West Road last Friday.

Governor Dickson

Governor Dickson, in a  statement by his Chief Press Secretary,  Francis Agbo, said: “On behalf of my family, the government and good people of Bayelsa State,  I commiserate with the family of PZ, the Ijaw people,  the government and good people of Delta State over the untimely death of my brother, friend and compatriot in the Ijaw struggle, Pastor Aginighan.

“His passing came as a shock to me. We cannot question God, sad as his demise is. All we can do as mortals on this divide, is to pray God to grant his soul eternal repose as well as grant his immediate family the fortitude to bear the irredeemable loss.”

National Secretary of PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade, in a statement, said: “We received with shock the sad news of the death of Pastor P.Z Aginighan,  along with his son, Tammy, which occurred in a ghastly motor accident near Mbiama, on the East-Road.

“The leadership of PANDEF family, and indeed, the Niger Delta Region has lost a rare gem,” he said.

Delta State APC chairman, Jones Erue, in a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Sylvester Imonina, said: “To many of us, he was a good father, brother, uncle and friend. Also, his dedication and industry to the affairs of APC, Delta State, were unquantifiable.”

On his part, Ogboru,  in a statement, said:  “Pastor Aginighan, a former acting Managing Director of NDDC, lived responsibly, touched many lives positively and was well respected by our people. He was a very good brother and man of God who just loved to do good. His untimely death in a car accident that also took the life of his wonderful son, Tammy Aginighan, and a security personnel, is a very painful and shocking loss to our people.

“It is difficult for us to come to terms with the reality that Pastor Aginighan is no more. This must explain why very many people prayed that the bad news should turn out to be untrue. Words fail us that the good man of God left us the way it happened. But who are we to question the Almighty God,” he added.

Mutu, on his part, said late P. Z. Aginighan spent all his years on earth in pursuit of true federalism in the country.

“Why should death steal away P. Z. Aginighan at such a time in the political history of the Ijaw when we needed his quality services the more, a man who believes so much in the Nigeria Project, “ Mutu lamented.

IYC, in a statement by its President, Eric Omare, said: “The sudden death of Elder Aginighan and his son is indeed a dark day in the history of Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region.

“Elder Aginighan was a patriot who was not afraid to speak the truth to power especially on issues affecting the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region. His relentless efforts and sacrifice together with other Ijaw compatriots led to the formation of the Ijaw National Congress wherein he served meritoriously as its pioneer Secretary General.

“The Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region will surely miss Elder Aginghan.”