Profile As Prepared by PIA.
Ogbonnaya Onu (born 1
December 1951) was the first
Executive Governor of Abia
State , Nigeria from February
1992 to December 1993.
He
was the National Chairman of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party
(ANPP).,until its
amalgamation with other
Nigerian opposition parties in
February 2013 resulted in the
creation of the All Progressives
Congress.
A BRIEF PROFILE OF DR.
OGBONNAYA ONU
Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu was born
on December 1, 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 in Nigeria.
He obtained grade one with
distinction in his West African
School Certificate examination
at Izzi High School, Abakaliki,
Ebonyi State. Dr Onu also
obtained 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. By 1976, he
graduated with a first class
honours degree in Chemical
Engineering at the University of
Lagos. He later obtained his
Doctor of Philosophy degree
in Chemical Engineering
(without passing through a
Masters degree) at the
reputable University of
California, Berkeley, California,
USA, in 1980, where he did
extensive work on coal
liquefaction and production of
synthetic fuels under mild
conditions. He showed that it
was possible under relatively
mild conditions to produce
synthetic fuels comparable with
crude oil.
While in the University of
California, Berkeley, Dr. Onu
was the President of the African
Students Union; Member,
Graduate Assembly of the
University of California at
Berkeley and also President of
the Nigerian Association of
Northern California, Inc. Back
home, he served as President
General of his alma-mater, Izzi
High School, Abakaliki, Old Boys
Association.
Coming out of higher school,
Dr. Onu taught at St.
Augustine’s Seminary,
Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State. After
completing his doctoral studies
in the USA, he returned to
Nigeria at the time when many
others in his situation preferred
to stay back. On coming back
from overseas, he taught at the
University of Port Harcourt as
the pioneer Head of the
Department of Chemical
Engineering. On several
occasions, he served as Acting
Dean of the University’s Faculty
of Engineering and was also
elected as a Member of the
Governing Council of the
university. As a pioneer staff in
the Faculty of Engineering and
the first Head of the
Department of Chemical
Engineering, he helped nurture
the department from scratch to
a position of repute. As a
member of the Governing
Council of the University, he
worked with others to provide
leadership in its search for
excellence.
While in Port Harcourt, he
became President of the Rotary
Club of Port Harcourt and the
Chairman of the Nigerian
Society of Chemical Engineers
of old Rivers, Cross River and
Akwa Ibom States’ Chapter. Dr.
Onu was the pioneer National
President of the Raw Materials
Society of Nigeria. The Raw
Materials Society of Nigeria,
RMSN, with the sole aim of
encouraging Nigerians to look
inwards in the sourcing and
utilization of raw materials,
played a very important role in
the establishment of the Raw
Materials Research and
Development Council, RMRDC,
by the Federal Government. He
served as a member of the First
Board of Governors of the
Federal Government Raw
Materials Research and
Development Council. By the
establishment of the RMRDC,
there was no longer any need
for the RMSN to continue to
exist since both of them had
the same function.
Dr. Onu is a Fellow of the
Nigerian Society of Chemical
Engineers, Fellow of the
Nigerian Society of Engineers
and Fellow of the Nigerian
Academy of Engineering. He
was also one of the longest
served Directors of the Nigeria
Cement Company, Nigercem,
Nkalagu, Ebonyi State. He was
the Visitor of Abia State
University, Uturu.
In 1991, Dr. Onu was elected
the first Governor of old Abia
State. He was the first
Chairman, Conference of
Nigerian elected Governors.
During his eventful tenure as
Governor, he emphasized the
use of technology as an
important instrument for
national development by
starting the processes for the
establishment of a Technology
Village, as well as introducing
computers into selected public
schools. He introduced the Free
Maternal Health Care
Programme which enabled poor
pregnant women to receive free
healthcare services as a
measure to reduce death
during pregnancy and
childbirth. 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 is a resolute believer in
Nigeria’s unity as an instrument
for national integration and
development. As Governor, he
abolished the State of Origin
Syndrome in Abia State and led
the way in appointing non-
indigenes of the State into top
positions of responsibility in his
Administration.
Using the Abia Dream as a
philosophy to mobilize the
people of the State to achieve
excellence in all spheres of
human endeavour, Dr. Onu
founded the Abia State
Polytechnic at Aba. He also
established the College of
Technical Education in
Arochukwu and attracted the
Michael Okpara Federal
University of Agriculture at
Umudike, near Umuahia. In
addition, Dr. Onu established
the Broadcasting Corporation of
Abia State as well as the
National Ambassador
Newspapers, which then won
several awards as the best State
owned Newspaper in Nigeria.
As a God fearing leader, he
christened Abia “God’s Own
State” and symbolized his noble
dream for the State by building
the ‘Abia Tower of Peace’.
In 1999, he emerged the first
Presidential Flagbearer of the
then All Peoples Party, APP,
which was later known as the
All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP.
A true democrat and committed
party loyalist, Dr. Onu
demonstrated rare political
discipline and consistency, by
remaining one of the very few
founding leaders of the
opposition ANPP who remained
in the party since its inception
in 1998 until it merged into a
new political party in 2013.
Little wonder, his fellow party
men and women in September
2010, in recognition of his rare
political fidelity and exemplary
commitment to the party’s
ideals, elected him their
National Chairman. As the Head
of the leading opposition
political party, he was the
Leader of Opposition in the
country.
Just within a period of two
years in office, he united the
Party and repositioned it for
future electoral victory. Dr. Onu
upheld internal democracy,
adhered strictly to the
Constitution of the Party and
also introduced reforms in the
ANPP. He initiated both a
revised Manifesto and
Constitution for the Party.
Through thoughtful and fearless
comments on issues of national
importance, Dr. Onu restored
the lost glory of the ANPP to
become a credible opposition
Party in Nigeria. A man of ideas,
he worked on ways of
positioning the ANPP to lead
Nigeria into issue-based and
ideas-driven politics.
In 2010, as National Chairman
of the defunct ANPP, he
initiated discussions with the
leadership of the defunct Action
Congress of Nigeria {ACN} on
how all the major opposition
political parties could work
together to effect change in the
politics of the country. Later he
also initiated meetings with the
National Chairmen of all major
opposition political parties. All
these efforts and many others,
finally resulted in the merger of
the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party
(ANPP), Congress for
Progressive Change, (CPC), and
groups from the All Progressive
Grand Alliance (APGA), and the
Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).
Hence on July 31, 2013, the All
Progressives Congress (APC),
came into existence. Dr. Onu
and other party leaders willingly
gave up their positions as INEC
withdrew the registration of
ACN, ANPP and CPC. On
November 26, 2013, the new
PDP, broke away from the
ruling political party and joined
the APC. This helped make the
APC, the largest opposition
political party in the history of
the country.
For over two decades, Dr. Onu
delivered thought provoking
lectures on different
contemporary issues of national
and global importance both
within and outside the country.
Some of the lectures include;
“Nigerians should not allow
one party rule” at the ANPP
National Assembly Caucus,
National Assembly Complex,
Abuja; “Upon this Rock will
Nigeria Arise” Special Session
of the Kano State House of
Assembly; “It is time to stand
for Something”, Special
Session of the Lagos State
House of Assembly and “The
fist as symbol of strength”,
Special Session of the Benue
State House of Assembly.
Others are “Taking Nigerians
for granted”, Special Session of
the Yobe State House of
Assembly; “The Eagles Flight in
the Global Village”, Special
Session of the Kebbi State
House of Assembly and “The
relevance of Opposition
Parties in deepening
democracy in Africa” , Maiden
Republic Day lecture, Ghana
National Union of Polytechnic
Students, Accra.
Honoured with several awards
and recognitions both within
and outside Nigeria, Dr. Onu is
The 2004 Man of the Year of the
reputable American
Biographical Institute. He was
honoured with the Governor of
the Year (1992) Award and also
the Star Governor (1993) Award.
He is a recipient of the Kwame
Nkrumah Leadership Award
2011/2012 by the West African
Students Union Parliament and
also the University of Lagos
Golden Jubilee Distinguished
Alumni Award.
He is an honorary citizen of
many cities in the world, in
addition to the State of Texas in
the United States of America.
Dr. Onu also holds many
traditional chieftaincy titles,
notably: Ikeoha Uburu, Dike-
Eji-Eme-Udo of Eastern
States, Akajiugo Nnewi,
Ogbuagu Abiriba,
Ugochinyere Umuahia,
Ozurumba Orlu,
Odiukonamba Eziudo Mbaise,
Dikeora Abagana, Ikemba
Afikpo. He is also the Togbe
Kwami Vidza of Kpando
District, Ghana. Dr. Onu is a
member of the ancient and
noble order of the Knights of St.
John International (KSJ).
He is the author of many books,
notably: “Technology and
National Development”,
“Building a Modern Nigeria”
and “A Footprint: Memoirs of
a Chief Servant”.
A fine statesman, brilliant
scholar, outstanding
intellectual, accomplished
administrator, prolific author
and poet, a man of great ideas
and inventions as well as a
distinguished man of
exceptional principle and
exemplary character. He is
married to Dr. (Mrs) Chinyere
Onu, with children.
