Ogbonnaya Onovo: The Quintessential Law Officer And Astute Administrator -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

As a Diaspora Nigeria residing in UK, whenever I see the British police in action my mind would always reminisce about the gallantry of some of our own who distinguished themselves in the force many love to hate. Apart from humanitarians and philanthropists who care for the vulnerable group in our midst, another group of people that I am attracted to albeit secretly are police officers. And I have my reasons for that. I realized that without the fight against crime which police men do, the society would be in a state of topsy-turvy.

Without the fight against crime there would no peace and there would be no meaningful economic progress in an atmosphere fraught with crime and uncertainty as we have in Nigeria of today. Granted that there are very many bad officers and so when I meet conscientious officers, I treasure them. It is indeed reassuring that in the midst of the bad eggs there are still outstanding men of honor. Thus, appreciating or eulogizing those who worked for the reduction of crime in our society is a good way of motivating those in the saddle at present to work harder.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

Undeniably, many may find it strange reading an ode to a police officer especially in this part of the globe but the truth is that there are intelligent, hardworking and conscientious officers of the law. And one of the greatest men who distinguished himself in Nigerian force and in the service to the nation is Mr. Ogbonnaya Okechukwu Onovo who was the 14th Inspector General of Police. His record was phenomenal and his legacies enviable. This piece was intended as a birthday tribute to the super cop, the crime buster and astute administrator who marked his 68th birthday on the 7th of February, 2021 but the COVID-19 pandemic brouhaha that kept me secluded was the cause of my belated birthday tribute to a fine gentleman and an able officer of the law.

Ogbonnaya Onovo was the toast of the Police Force of his era. Strong, intelligent and ebullient, Onovo was a workaholic. He worked so hard that within a space of twenty years beginning as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1977 he rose meteorically to the rank of a Commissioner of Police in 1997, becoming AIG and DIG in 2001 and 2002 respectively despite the “supposed encumbrances” especially taking into consideration the fact that he is from the South East Nigeria. He served the force meritoriously in different capacities, the services that took him to many states of the Federation. He was appointed the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency between 1998 and 2000. And in July 2009, he was appointed the Inspector General of Police following the retirement from service of Sir Mike Mbama Okiro.

Obviously, Onovo did not belong to old corrupt brigade who are passive and reactionary in approach to policing. He was not the slow-slow kind of officer. No. He is a man of action. While in office, he treated every matter that came to him with deserved attention and with dispatch. He was result-oriented and performance-driven. He believes that crime prevention strategies are more effective than crime fighting which is reactionary. He believes that crime fighting requires a multi-faceted strategy, involving intelligence gathering and stakeholders’ involvement. When the issue of kidnapping which was a carry-over of militancy in Niger Delta became commercialized, he responded accordingly by setting up a special task force to tackle that and created community interface platform for feedback and intelligence.

He was a beacon to the younger officers of his time and among his peers, he was a highly respected team player. To his boys, he was a boss like no other. A disciplinarian and stickler to rules who led by exemplary conduct not by sanction. Onovo was an apostle of due diligence. He believed in the rule of law. He frowned at officers taking laws into their hands and under his tenure as Inspector General of Police, our human rights record improved significantly. When Mohammed Yusuf the Bokoharam founder was killed in controversial circumstances in police cell, Onovo was alarmed. He summoned the commissioners of police in the North-Eastern States for questioning.

As an administrator, he was brilliant and ethical and that was why despite handling many sensitive posts in the force, he never had any scandal or stigma attached to his name. He might be controversial but he was highly principled, resolute and firm in all his decisions. His decisions were clearly guarded by unwavering patriotic zeal. Those who know him from close quarters can attest to the fact that he was selfless, dispassionate and fair in discharging his duties and he always enjoin those under his command to do so too.

Onovo is a man of integrity. He is honest, straightforward and positive. When he was by-passed in 2007 following the retirement of Sunday Ehindero and Mike Okiro was made IGP, he did not resign or try to sabotage the force in anyway but gladly chose to work with his brother and close pal and together they improved the image of the force, initiating and instituting far reaching reforms in the force. And when he became IGP, he openly announced that he would continue the good policies of his predecessor. The policies of community policing and officers’ welfare enhancement received a boost under his tenure.

As a leader, he recognized his men as his greatest asset and he worked assiduously to empower them. He was of the view that a motivated officer is more able positioned to deliver quality service. He initiated good welfare policies to motivate the officers and men of the force and boost their morale. He adopted quality training and enhanced remuneration package for the officers and men of the police force. To this effect, he worked effectively with the Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs as well as other relevant agencies.

Without doubt, he is a lodestar for the serving and intending officers of the force. His personal attributes, work ethics and comportment are worth emulating. And on that note, I say happy belated birthday to the quintessential officer of the law.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK