OGBONNAYA ONOVO, THE NEW IG OF POLICE!

Happily reporting to duty as Nigeria's 14th indigenous Inspector General of Police, here pictured left is, Ogbonnaya Okechukwu Onovo!

Icheoku says, congratulations to Nigeria's new Inspector General of Police, IGP Ogbonnaya Okechukwu Onovo, on his elevation to the position of the number one police officer in the land! In other words, he is now the Nigeria's First Police! To President Umaru Yar'Adua, we extend our gratitude too, for braving all the interest groups' pressure to put the right person on the saddle, to guide the Nigeria police as they perform their security assignment in Nigeria. Ogbonaya Onovo is simply the best there is, to occupy the office; and with the work at hand in this challenging times, no other appointee would have been a better choice; judging from his retinue of experience?

To IGP Onovo, Icheoku says, your job has been cut out for you, as the criminality in Nigeria must be stopped cold, and at whatever and any cost possible. No excuses will be good enough for Nigerians and you must bring the "can do" attitude inherent in the people of the South East to bear on the task ahead; and put a stop to the lawlessness of kidnapping and armed robbery nearly paralysing Nigeria. The country expects nothing less from you, than to give them back their lives which have nearly been taken over by some criminal elements in the country. Please do not give anyone reason to say, "I told you so" to President Umaru Yar'Adua, who went through the eye of the storm to appoint you the IGP! The only appreciation President Umaru Yar'Adua and Nigerians expect from you is perfomance, period! You must deliver security to Nigerians and only this will make or mar your administration.

At 56, Inspector General Onovo still have four more years before attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years, during which period, he must try to establish himself as the best Inspector General of Police Nigeria ever had. Alternatively, if he leaves office in three year when he attains the mandatory 35 years of service; he still would have three years to prove his mettle. Either way, IGP Onovo must make it possible for Nigerians to once again, be able to sleep with their two eyes shut at night; and drive freely on the roads without being maimed and killed by hoodlums or otherwise kidnapped for ransom by men of the underworld. Once Inspector General Onovo can accomplish this, his legacy will only need some little gap-fillers as it would have already been enshrined?

A native of Enugu State, born in February 7, 1953; married and a father of a son and a daughter; Ogbonnaya Onovo armed with a degree in Political Science from University of Nigeria Nsukka, enlisted in the Nigeria Police on August 1, 1977, as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). Since then, Ogbonnaya Onovo has served in various capacities in the Nigerian Police including as Divisional Crime Officer, Administrative Officer, Unit Commander, Second-in-Command to Squadron Commander and Squadron Commander of the Police Mobile Force. Onovo was subsequently promoted Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in January 1981; Superintendent of Police (SP) in October 1984, Divisional Crime Officer and Commander of Surveillance, Chief Superintendent of Police, Staff Officer in the Force Secretary's Office in June 1987, Assistant Force Secretary in the Force Headquarters in 1989, Assistant Commissioner of Police in March 1990, Deputy State Police Commissioner (Second-in-Command), Commissioner of Police (CP) in April 1997, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 1998, Commandant Police Academy Kano in May 2000, promoted AIG in May 2001 and made head of Research and Planning Department at the Force Headquarters as well as Force Secretary which position he held until February 2002, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) in March 14, 2002 and Second-in-Command to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in the Force Headquarters and occupied the office of the DIG "A" - Finance and Administration. Ogbonnaya Onovo became Criminal Investigations Department head between 2003 and 2006, and DIG in charge of Administration in November 2006. Onovo equally attended several professional, development and leadership training courses within the Police and other Federal Government and international agencies including the Cadet ASPs Course; Detective Course; Junior Command Course; Middle Management Course; Senior Management Course; National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Course; and International Humanitarian Law Program in SanRemo, Italy, among others.

Icheoku says, with a resume` like his, who else could better serve as Nigeria's Inspector General of Police than Ogbonnaya Onovo himself? The new chief has climbed the ropes, learnt all the curves and tricks of policing, horned his skills on experiences garnered over the years of service, which are as diverse as Nigeria itself; have served in various capacities in the police, as would properly equip him adequately with every needed advantage to perform and perform creditably very well. President Umaru Yar'Adua succeeded with this pick, choosing a round peg for a round hole and Nigeria will surely be better off with such a wise choice. IGP Onovo simply stated, cannot just afford to fail or not perform well.

However, with this appointment, it is not yet Uhuru for the people of the South East regarding their full political re-integration in Nigeria? The folks over there should not start basking in the euphoria of the moment, now that the feudalistic North has finally relented and appointed one of their kinsman, the IGP? The people of the South East should not see Ogbonnaya Onovo's appointment as a patronage or a victory; but a well qualified and deserved appointment where the best there is, was appointed and he agreed to serve his fatherland as the IG of police. In Nigeria, no tribe or section should be patronized just for the heck of it, but that the best always be allowed to wear the mantle and deliver for all Nigerians accordingly. Icheoku calls on Nigerian leadership not to unreasonably and irrationally patronize anyone group, including the Igbos, just for political-correctness. Once there is a job to be done, let the most competent Nigerian be allowed to handle the job, period!

Be that as it may, and all sentiments aside, Icheoku hopes that the new IG of police will look up to the other of his kinsmen/women from the South East, who have discharged their duties to Nigeria, creditably and satisfactorily; and use their performance as his new benchmark. Madam Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla, Professor Dora Akunyili and Professor Chukwuman Soludo, just to mention a few, readily come to mind as such Igbo men and women under advisement here. The IGP's anticipated stellar performance in office will further affirm that certain people from certain part of Nigeria, are really endowed with a unique, natural 'can do' abilities. Therefore, IGP Ogbonnaya Onovo, the ball is now in your court to prove the "Okoro" in you!

Also Inspector General Ogbonnnaya Onovo must try and follow in the foot-steps of former Senate President Ken Nnamani, and avoid the corruption triggering banana-peel syndrome, which saw three of his most recent predecessors soiled in office? IG Tafa Balogun went out of office in handcuffs for misappropriapriating 17 billion Naira belonging to the police; IG Ehindero got entangled in a 23 million Naira corruption scandal found in a car trunk, while IG Mike Okiro has a 160 million Naira unpaid loan hanging on his neck? Once Ogbonnanya Onovo cleverly navigates his way through the pile of crap, which is always thrown at an IG's feet, then part of his legacy would have been written in gold and the rest will become mere filling of the gaps.

Once again, congratulations IG Ogbonnaya Onovo on your new appointment; we also reiterates our gratitude to President Umaru Yar'Adua and salute his courage in allowing the most qualified and most senior of the Nigerian police, to assume the office of the IGP; despite the wishes of Arewa Consultative Forum and other Nigerian pressure groups, to the contrary? Our prayer also, is that the Nigerian cabal will give him a free hand to police Nigeria adequately and restore the much needed but lacking security to a country, which has otherwise been ranked a failed state?

***(Just a little factoid for you:- IGP Ogbonnaya Onovo, is now the 14th indigenous IGP Nigeria has ever had; IGP Ogbonnaya Onovo was a classmate of the last IG Mike Okiro, who was also Onovo's best man during his (Onovo) wedding. It is also worth a mention that Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo served four past IGPs as a DIG, which greatly burnishes his credentials for his current job as Nigeria's IGP!) ***