Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu |
Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu was born on 1st December, 1951, to the family of His Royal
Highness Late Eze David Aba Onu, Eze Adu of Uburu in Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi
State in Nigeria. The academic brilliance of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu manifested very
early when he obtained Grade One with Distinction in his West African School
Certificate examination at Izzi High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He went
further to obtain distinctions in Physics and Chemistry at the Higher School
Certificate Examination at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu,
graduating as the best overall student. In 1976, Dr. Onu graduated with a First
Class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos
(Unilag). He later obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemical
Engineering (without passing through a Masters degree) at the reputable
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA, in 1980.
On returning
to Nigeria, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu taught at the University of Port Harcourt as the
Pioneer Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. On several occasions he
served as the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Port
Harcourt. Dr. Onu was also elected as a member of the Governing Council of the
University. Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu did not limit himself to acquiring high grade
certificates in academic institutions, he had time for extra-curricular
activities where he also excelled. His capabilities as a leader of his peers
and others shorn like a thousand stars. A few examples will suffice. While in
the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Onu was President of the African
Students Union. He was also a member of the Graduate Assembly of the University
of California at Berkeley as well as the President of the Nigerian Association
of Northern California incorporated (Inc). Back in Nigeria, Dr. Onu served as
the President General of the Old Boys Association of his Alma Matar, Izzi High
School Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
While in
Port Harcourt, Dr. Onu became President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt. He
was also the Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers of Old
Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States’ Chapter. Dr. Onu was a pioneer
National President of Raw Materials Society of Nigeria. The Society ceased to
exist when the Federal Government established the Raw Materials Research and
Development Council (RMRDC) and Dr. Onu served as a member of the first Board
of Governors of the Council.
When Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu delved into partisan politics, his attributes as an articulate
political strategist and sagacity manifested and blossomed. Not many will
remember that Dr. Onu was an aspirant for the Senatorial seat in the Old Imo
State on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). That
attempt could well be referred to as Dr. Onu’s political baptism, as he did not
emerge to become the candidate. But having stepped out in the political arena
there was no looking back for the ebullient and calculative personality.
Upon the
creation of Abia State and partial return of Nigeria to partisan politics by
the General Ibrahim Babaginda Military administration, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu joined
the Nigerian Republican Convention (NRC) and threw his hat in the ring to
contest for the Governorship nomination of his party with the legitimate
ambition to become the first elected governor of the newly created State on the
platform of his party. I remember accompanying him to consult a number of party
big wigs and major stakeholders in Abia State. We went to Dr. Chris Adighije at
his Olokoro country home in Umuahia. Dr. Adighije later became a Senator of the
Federal Republic. He was helpful in securing the support of Chief B.B. Akpugo,
a major power broker in Abia State and NRC and a few other opinion leaders in
the State. My late Uncle, Mr. J. U. Agwu, a Permanent Secretary in the First
Republic Government of M. I. Okpara, stood solidly with Dr. Onu at that time
and their friendship endured until my uncle died.
I remember
us reaching out to these leaders with traditional kolanuts as tradition
demanded and very affordable modest drinks. Dr. Onu did not get into the
gubernatorial race with a large war chest, but his integrity, sincerity of
purpose, humility, clear understanding of what he wished for Abia State and a
high dose of political sagacity were some of his strong attributes. Whoever he
encountered just once was convinced to support his candidature. In spite of
paucity of funds, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu won the nomination of the NRC in Abia State
to fly the party’s governorship flag and proceeded to sweep the polls at the
governorship election to become the first elected Governor of Abia State in
1992. It was a near miracle to move from the Classroom as a University Teacher
to win a Governorship Election in Igbo land where money is a major issue. It
was in that year 1992 that Dr. Onu appointed me as a member of Abia State
University Governing Council.
As the
beloved Governor of Abia State, Dr. Onu set out from the very outset to
introduce landmark reforms in the State. He introduced free maternal healthcare
programme. Security of lives and property were considerably enhanced such that
within a single year, the Abia State Police Command received two letters of
commendation from the Inspector General of Police. Dr. Onu abolished the State
of Origin syndrome in Abia State and proceeded to appoint non-indigenes of Abia
State into his government. This was to underscore his belief in Nigeria’s unity
as an instrument for national integration and development. It was Dr. Ogbonnaya
Onu that founded the Abia State Polytechnics in Aba; he established the College
of Education at Arochukwu and attracted the Michael Okpara Federal University
of Agriculture at Umudike, near Umuahia. Dr. Onu established the Abia
Broadcasting Corporation in Abia State as well as the National Ambassadors
Newspaper which then won several awards as the best State-owned newspaper. He
achieved all these within a period a little more than 20 months with Federal allocation
ranging between 40 and 60 million naira monthly.
It was Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu that christened Abia State “GOD’S OWN STATE”, and symbolized his
noble dream for the State by building the “Abia Tower of Peace”. At the
resumption of partisan politics in 1999, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu emerged as the first
Presidential Flag bearer of the then All Peoples Party (APP) which was later
known as All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). I was a member of the national
caucus of APP. Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu with whom I joined the party,
became a member of the Board of Trustees of APP. Other notable Igbo members of
APP at that time included Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Arthur Nzeribe, late
Chief Evan Enwerem, Dr. Joshua Odunna etc. It is to Dr. Onu’s eternal credit that
he showed an unalloyed loyalty to the party in the spirit of the supremacy of
Party and as a true democrat that he submitted to the directive of the Party
leadership to relinquish his position as presidential flag bearer to pave the
way for Dr. Olu Falae of Alliance for Democracy (AD) to become the presidential
flag bearer of APP in a curious political alliance between AD and APP. While
all the notable members of APP moved out of the party at different times and
for different reasons, Dr. Onu remained committed to the party. Little wonder
his fellow party men and women in September 2010 in recognition of Dr. Onu’s
rare political fidelity, discipline, steadfastness and exemplary commitment to
the party’s ideals elected him as the National Chairman of the party.
It was from
this privileged position that Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu proceeded to reposition the
ANPP that was already degenerating to a regional party and brought the party
back to national reckoning. Dr. Onu as the leader of the foremost opposition
party in the country which by extension made him the defacto Leader of
Opposition in Nigeria, led his party to a historic merger with the Action
Congress of Nigeria , ACN and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, which was
ultimately registered as All Progressives
Congress (APC) on July 31, 2013. Dr. Onu is a member of Board of
Trustees of APC and was appointed by the President-Elect General Muhammadu
Buhari as a member of his Transition Committee.
Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu is the author of many books and has garnered so many awards and
chieftaincy titles too numerous to be accommodated in this brief piece. Dr. Onu
is married to Dr. Chinyere Onu with children who like their parents are
upwardly mobile.
I wish to
conclude this narrative by acknowledging from personal experience of more than
30 years of unbroken friendship with Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu that he is a first class
gentleman whose word is his bond. (As seen in Sun)
Chekwas Okorie,
National Chairman and 2015 presidential candidate of UPP
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