Ogbonnaya Onu

Ogbonnaya Onu (born December 1, 1951) is a Nigerian politician, author and engineer. He was the first civilian governor of Abia state and the immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr.

Ogbonnaya Onu

FNSE, FNSChE, FAEng
Ogbonnaya Onu in 2018
Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Assumed office
June 14, 2019
Minister of Science and Technology
Assumed office
November 11, 2015
Appointed byMuhammadu Buhari
1st Executive Governor Abia State
In office
January 1992 – November 1993
Preceded byFrank Ajobena (military)
Succeeded byChinyere Ike Nwosu (military)
Personal details
Born
Ogbonnaya Onu

(1951-12-01) December 1, 1951
Ohaozara, Ebonyi State
NationalityNigerian
Political partyAll Progressives Congress
ResidenceNigeria
EducationUniversity of Lagos
University of California, Berkeley
ProfessionPolitician, Engineer

Life and education

Ogbonnaya Onu was born on the 1st of December 1951, to the family of His Royal Highness, Late Eze David Aba Onu (Eze Adu of Uburu) in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State Nigeria.[1] He started his education at Izzi High School in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital. Here, he obtained grade one with distinction in his West African School Certificate Examination.[2] He also sat for the High School Examination at College of Immaculate Conception (C.I.C) Enugu, graduating as the overall best student.[3] He proceeded to the University of Lagos and graduated with a first class degree in Chemical Engineering in 1976. He went for his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley and obtained a PhD in Chemical engineering in 1980.[4]

Career

Teaching career

After his graduation from the University of Lagos, Ogbonnaya Onu became a teacher at St. Augustine's Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State. After the completion of his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Onu became a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, and later became the pioneer Head of the Department. He also served as the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and was also elected as a Member of the Governing Council of the University.[5]

Political career

Ogbonnaya Onu started his political Career as an aspirant for a Senatorial seat in the old Imo State on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).[5] He contested for the position of Governor of Abia State in 1991 under the umbrella of the National Republican Convention and won. He was sworn in as the first Executive Governor of the State in January 1992.[6] He was the first Chairman, Conference of Nigerian elected Governors. In 1999, he was the Presidential flag bearer for the All People's Party but relinquished the position to Olu Falae after a merger of his party with the Alliance for Democracy who lost to Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP. He became the National Party Chairman of the All Nigerian People's Party 2010.[7] In 2013, he his party (ANPP) successfully merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Democratic People's Party (DPP) and some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). In November 2015, he was appointed Minister of Science and Technology by President Muhammadu Buhari.[8][9] on 21 August 2019, He was sworn in again as Minister of Science and Technology by President Muhammadu Buhari

Awards and achievements

Dr. Onu is a certified member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering,[10] fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers.[11] As a Minister of Science and Technology, he began the National Science and Technology Week which held its first edition on the 13th to 17 April 2017 in Abuja and then in March 2018 to showcase inventors and inventions. He signed a Memorandum of Undertaking (MOU) with three international companies to export indigenous technologies and food. He also signed an agreement with NASCO to kick off commercial production of High Nutrient Density biscuits. In 2016, he initiated a programme tagged “774 YOUNG NIGERIAN SCIENTISTS PRESIDENTIAL award (774-YONSPA)” aimed at encouraging and developing the interest of Nigerian youth in science, technology, and innovation (STI). [6]

Controversies

Dr Onu said Nigeria will begin local production of pencils[12] by 2018 which he said will provide 400,000 jobs.[13][14] As of 2019, the said production of pencils has not commenced.[6] In 1999, prior to the Presidential election and the alliance between the All People's Party and Alliance for Democracy, Dr. Onu was involved in a conflict involving both APP/AD picking Olu Falae as the joint presidential flag bearer.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Profile of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology". Vanguard News. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  2. "'The Ogbonnaya Onu that I know'". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2015-05-16. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  3. Ejiofor, Clement (31 May 2015). "President Buhari Appoints New SGF (UPDATED)". Legit. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  4. Adekunle (28 July 2015). "Ogbonnaya Onu and the reward of perseverance". Vanguard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  5. Okorie, Chekwas (3 September 2015). "'The Ogbonnaya Onu that I know'". The Nation. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  6. Ugbede, Lois (4 January 2019). "ANALYSIS: How science and technology ministry fared under Ogbonnaya Onu in three years". Premium Times. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  7. Isuwa, Sunday (24 September 2010). "Nigeria: How ANPP Chairman Emerged". All Africa. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  8. Eribake, Akintayo (11 November 2015). "See full list of Buhari's ministers and their portfolios". Vanguard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  9. Allison, Simon (12 November 2015). "Nigeria gets new cabinet after six-month delay". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  10. RapidxHTML; Amana, Destiny. "The Nigeria Academy of Engineering :: promoting excellence in technology and engineering training and practice to ensure the technological growth and economic development of Nigeria". Nae.org.ng. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. "NSCHE - Keynote Speakers". Nscheabuja.org. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. Elebeke, Emmanuel (7 January 2016). "FG will generate 3.4m jobs through pencil production, others — Minister". Vanguard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  13. Group (30 December 2015). "Nigeria to start production of pencils, says Onu". The Nation Nigeria. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  14. "Nigeria to start local production of pencils in two years – Onu". Daily Post. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  15. Uchendu, Moses (17 February 1999). "Nigeria: Onu Is A Liar, Says Waziri". All Africa. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
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