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Mike Onoja

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Joeywaje (talk | contribs) at 10:31, 3 December 2018 (→‎Business activities). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

  • Comment: Please remove all of the unsourced information (and {{cn}} tags) or source the content properly before publication. ProgrammingGeek talktome 12:41, 26 November 2018 (UTC)
  • Comment: Does not meet WP:NPOL as never elected. Best claim to fame is the decoration Order of Nigir. That needs to be supported properly Legacypac (talk) 20:45, 21 October 2018 (UTC)
Chief Mike Okibe Onoja

Chief (Dr). Mike Okibe Onoja (Born September 29th, 1948) is a Nigerian Philanthropist, Entrepreneur, Politician and administrator . He hails from Agila, Ado, Benue State. He retired from the public service in 2003 after spending 31 years in the service. He is actively involved in politics and is the chairman and CEO of Monsoons Resources Investment International Limited[1]. He also holds chieftaincy titles as the Agama of Agila and Akanaba K'Idoma of Idoma land.[2]

Education

Mike Okibe Onoja began his education in the Roman Catholic mission School in Agila district, Ado Local government, Benue State in 1954. He left for Methodist Central School Igumale where he studied for a year before leaving for Saint Mary's Primary School Otukpo where he completed his primary education in 1961. After his primary education, he proceeded to Saint James Junior Seminary, Keffi in 1962 and graduated in 1966. In 1969, he was admitted into Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) and studied Economics before graduating in 1972. He later embarked on a Diploma programme in Econometrics at the University of Colorado, U.S.A in 1975. He then obtained his Master's degree in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, U.S.A in 1976.[3]

Career

Mike Onoja's first employment was as an account clerk in John Holt plc Jos between 1967 and 1969[4]: 51 . He spent the remaining years of his career in different Ministries which include Federal Ministry of National Planning, Federal Ministry of Transport, Federal Ministry of Industries and Ministry of Defense. [3] He began his public service career in the Federal Ministry of National Planning now Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in 1972 as a Planning officer Grade II. He was promoted to Planning Officer I in 1974. After undertaking a course in U.S.A, he was later promoted again upon his return to Senior Planning Officer in 1976. In 1979, he was promoted to Principal Planning Officer. After a year, he was promoted to Chief Planning officer. After the military coup of Muhammadu Buhari rigime, there was a shake up in the public service which led to his transfer to the Federal Ministry of Transport as an under secretary and later promoted to Deputy Secretary . He was again transferred to the Federal Ministry of Industries now Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment[5] in 1984. In the same year, he was transferred to Special Military Tribunal, Kaduna zone as secretary of the Tribunal. He was reassigned to the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) and deployed to the army department as Deputy secretary and later promoted to Principal secretary in 1987. He got another promotion to Deputy director of the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) in 1990 and was further promoted to Director in 1992 by the then Minister of Defence, Sani Abacha. In 1994, he was promoted to Director General/Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria). He remained in the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) until 1999, and was transferred to the Ministry of Power and Steel. His next stop was the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as the Permanent Secretary on Economic Affairs where he remained until 2001. He later returned to Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and retired from public service in 2003. During his career, he attended United Nations sessions in New York from 1988 to 1999. He attended meetings of the United Nations Trade and Development UNCTAD in Manila, Philippines and Group of 77 in Arusha, Tanzania. He attended and represented the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning on ECOWAS meetings between 1978 to 1980.[4]: 54 

Politics

Mike Onoja's first emergence on the political scene was in 2007, where he contested for the Governorship primary election in Benue State under the then ruling political party People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) against the likes of Gabriel Suswam, Steven Lawani, Patrick Abba Moro[6]. He contested again under the same party in 2015 for the Benue South Senatorial primary election but later stepped down from the race for Senator David Mark who was the incubent Senate President at the time for the best interest of the Idoma nation. [7]. After the defeat of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) at the 2015 general election in Nigeria by the All Progressives Congress [8] he, and other political big wits of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) later decamped to the All Progressives Congress [9] in 2016. He decamped back to People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) [10] in the run up to the 2019 Benue south Senatorial election. After the PDP's Senatorial Primary election in 2018, Mike Onoja again decamped from the party to Social Democratic Party (Nigeria) after expressing his dissatisfaction with the PDP's conduct of the primary election.[11]

Business activities

Mike Onoja is the Chairman/CEO of Moonsons Resources Investment International, which is a holding company with various subsidiary companies specializing in Imports and Exports, general contracts,general distribution, real estate, petroleum services and general investment [12]. He is also the Chairman/CEO of the various subsidiary companies which include;[4]: 55 

  1. Monasons Ventures
  2. Dominion Investment Resources
  3. Moon Court Property
  4. Century Petroleum
  5. Fairmount Consolidation limited.[13]

Philanthropic activities

Mike Onoja has been said to have a great impact in his community. He constructed 2km stretch of road from Agila to Akpoge.[4]: 159  He is also known to have helped indigenous students to fund their education, as well as sponsoring some of the sick for treatment abroad. Apart from his community, he is known to be a major funder of educational institutions, most notably University of Mkar and Benue State University, as well as Churches.[4]: 164 

Awards

Mike Onoja was conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 1999 by General Abdulsalami Abubakar[14]. In 2009, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Management Science (D.Sc)Honoris Causa from the University of Mkar.[15] In 2017, University of Abuja in it's 21st Convocation ceremony honored him with a Doctor of Letters Degree. [16] The Benue State University, Makurdi conferred on him another doctorate degree in the same year.[17]

Personal Life

Mike Onoja is married to Chief Mrs Justina Onoja of which they have five children. He is a devout Catholic and even considered becoming a priest as he stated in his auto biography 'The Living Seed'. [4]: 45 

References

  1. ^ "Monsoons Resources Investment Internationa". Monsoons Resources Investment Internationa. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Celebration Mike Onaja". Press Reader. This Day. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Osso, Nyaknno (2017-03-08). "Onoja, Chief Mike". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation, Nigeria. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f [Comrade Odeh Edache Benedict,The Living Seed, An Authorized Biography of Chief Dr.Mike Okibe Onoja , Ture Prints, Abuja, 2017]
  5. ^ "Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment". Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  6. ^ Jide, "Ex-Benue deputy governor Makes Shocking Confession on 2007 Elections", The Herald, Retrieved October 2018
  7. ^ Ameh Comrade Godwin, "Benue Zone C 2015: Mike Onoja steps down for David Mark", Daily Post, Retrieved 17th October 2018
  8. ^ Olademeji Ramon, "I take responsibility for PDP's defeat in 2015- Jonathan", Punch, Nov 23rd 2017
  9. ^ Benue News, "Lawani, Sam Ode, Okibe Onoja Decamp To APC Ahead Of Benue South Senatorial Rerun Election", Benue News, Retrieved October 17th 2018
  10. ^ Segun Adio, "Okibe Onoja decamps from APC to PDP, declares for Zone C Senate", The Sun, Retrieved October 14th 2018
  11. ^ Ben Idah, "Mike Okibe Onoja defects to SDP after losing PDP ticket to Abba Moro, gives reasons", Idoma Voice, Retrieved October 18th 2018
  12. ^ Monsoons Resources Investment International, "Monsoons Resources Investment Team" Retrieved 18th October 2018
  13. ^ Monsoons Resources Investment International, "Monsoons Resources Investment International Limited" Retrieved 28th November 2018
  14. ^ "Nigerian National Awards". Nigerian Muse. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  15. ^ Sunday, Simon. "Philanthropist lauded on job creation, youth empowerment". Press reader. daily trust. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  16. ^ Idoko, Clement (2017-02-23). "UniAbuja graduates 13, 218 students at 21 convocation". Nigerian Tribune. Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  17. ^ Iorhemen, Cephas (2017-04-04). "Benue varsity VC appeals for more funding". News Telegraph. News Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
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