SHOWCASING 23 IGEDE PERSONALITIES EN ROUTE TO 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS – First Edition
O M E N K A, IBA JACOB, FPA, BA (Hons); MPA (ABU); PhD (UNIJOS)
I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who has been following my articles on the 23 Igede bold personalities, with a view to profiling them to lead the discussion on the power sharing in Benue State vis-à-vis Benue South Senatorial District (Zone C) as we are en route to 2023 general elections. With God backing me up and your words of encouragement as well as your critique, I am impelled not to give up on this project, no matter the price. Once again, thank you for reading me.
To guide my esteemed readers in their assessment and critique of the personalities, permit me to remind us of the criteria for the selection of the 23 bold personalities from the introduction to my write up in my 1st publication in the series which is reproduced hereunder for ease of reference:
“The criteria for selection or projection of these 23 personalities would include academic qualification, experience, expertise, intelligence, special skills, integrity and track records in their various chosen endeavours. They would be randomly selected based on my personal assessment of the individuals after conducting some background checks on them. Therefore, if you see more than one person from one Council Ward or you do not see any person at all from your own Council Ward, please don’t take it personally. It is not done with a view to promoting any Council Ward or individual to the detriment of others. The focus is not on the individuals or Council Wards but the collective interest of Igede nation”.
It is upon the above premise, in continuation of my series, that I would take my esteemed readers on a trip into the world of another worthy son of Agba – Prof. Omenka, Iba Jacob, FPA, BA (Hons); MPA (ABU); PhD (UNIJOS). Born on August 24, 1963, Omenka, Iba Jacob (PhD) completed his primary school education in 1977 at St. Mary’s Primary School, Otukpo, Benue State. He proceeded to St Joseph’s Secondary School, Ito, Benue State (my Alma Mata), for his secondary school education and graduated in 1982. He completed his Advance Level (A’L) education from the School of Basic Studies, Makurdi in 1984. At Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Kaduna State, Nigeria, he studied English Language and graduated with Second Class Honours in 1987.
After the completion of the one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Industrial Training Fund Headquarters, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria in 1988, he was employed as an Administrative Officer by Oju Local Government Council, Benue State of Nigeria in 1989. Prof. Omenka attended the famous Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and obtained Master of Public Administration (MPA) with special bias in Local Government Administration in 1993. His MPA Thesis was on Non –Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Rural Development.
In July 1994, Prof. Omenka joined the service of the Benue State University Makurdi, Nigeria as an Administrative Officer. A year later, he made an inter-cadre transfer and became a lecturer in the Department of Political Science of the same University, where he rose through the ranks to become a Professor. He obtained a Doctoral (Ph.D.) Degree in Political Economy and Development Studies from the University of Jos, Nigeria in 2008. His Ph.D. Thesis is on Legislative Oversight and Socio-Economic Development in Benue State.
Prof. Omenka also attended a Leadership Course at the University of Manchester, Business School and obtained an Advanced Certificate in Leadership Training in 2012.
In the course of his working career, Prof. Omenka has held several administrative and academic positions the highlight of which includes the following: Area Development Officer, Oju LGC; Secretary, Examination Regulation and Irregularities Committee, Faculty and Departmental Examination Officer; Coordinator, Diploma in Personnel Management, and Business Manager, Nigerian Journal of Political and Administrative Studies. This is in addition to being a member of several University and Government Committees. He was Member/Secretary, Labour, Social Welfare and Women Affairs Sub-Committee, Benue Advance Plan: A Development Agenda of the Government of Benue State, under the administration of Governor George Akume. Secretary, Movement for the creation of Oyongo LGA, Benue State. Member, Constitution Review/Electoral Delimitation Committee, Benue State, as well as Member, Benue State Examinations Board, Makurdi. He also served as the Sole Administrator of the College of Education Oju, Benue State. He was Commissioner, Youth and Sports between Sept 2010 and May 2011. During this period too, he was Chairman, NYSC Board, Benue State. He equally served as Hon. Commissioner, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Benue State between July 2011 and Feb. 2013. He was the Chairman, Benue State Examinations Board, Makurdi between April 2014 and March 2016.
Prof Omenka was promoted the status of Professor in October, 2017. He was a visiting lecturer at the Kogi State University, Anyigba and also an External Examiner with Veritas University, Abuja; External Examiner with the University of Jos, in the Department of Political Science. In November 2018, he voluntarily left the services of Benue State University, Makurdi for Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, where he is currently an External Examiner for the Post-Graduates Programme.
His academic discipline/research interest covers Legislative Studies, Public Sector Reforms, Non-Governmental Organizations and Rural Development. He has successfully supervised numerous MPA/MSc dissertations, as well as Ph.D. Thesis.
The above is an abridged version of Prof Omenka’s profile. What a tall resume! Anyone who has come in contact with Prof. Omenka or interacted with him would attest to the disarming aural, compelling charm and irresistible ambience around this great son of Agba. In my own assessment, which has been independently confirmed by his friends, academic and political associates and colleagues, Prof Omenka is a man of 3c – character, courage and charisma, coupled with his exceptional academic qualifications and excellent track records and integrity. Needless I to say that Prof. Omenka has carved a niche for himself as his track records speak volume of him among other great men and women from other ethnic nationalities, within and outside Benue State. Therefore, to say that Prof. Omenka is eminently qualified to hold any political office in Nigeria and beyond or lead Igede nation in the discussion about power sharing would be for want of a better diction.
Even though Prof. Omenka, like his predecessors, is NOT INTERESTED in enumerating his contributions to the development of Igede nation, as the records are out there for independent verification by those who might be interested, permit me to highlight few contributions of Prof. Omenka to the development of Igede land to satisfy the curiosity of some of my esteemed readers. The attempt here is without prejudice to the fact that I am not set out to appraise the performances of the personalities I have been presenting to my reading audience in my series per se, but to use them as guiding light to provide a policy direction around the renewed conversation for Igede sociopolitical development.
When Prof Omenka was the Sole Administrator of the College of Education, Oju, the only higher institution in Igede land, he stablished the institution by restoring peace and orderliness to the college community, and set records, which till date, are difficult to beat by any past and present administration. While I would avoid the temptation to hype him, permit me to state here without any fear of contradiction that, with the support of the former Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Sen. (Dr.) Gabriel Suswan, Prof. Omenka gave a lot of employment to Igede sons and daughters into the COE Oju during his 14 months’ stint as the Sole Administrator of the College, without necessary short-changing the other tribes of Tiv and Idoma in the employment into the College. This singular gesture by Prof. Omenka endeared him not only to his kin but also our brothers from Idoma and Tiv nations, as they regard/ed Prof as a detribalized son of Benue State.
Furthermore, when Prof Omenga was a Commissioner and member of Benue State Executive under the administration of His Excellency Sen. (Dr.) Gabriel Suswan, he worked behind the scene with some other prominent and notable Igede sons and daughters (who will be featured in my subsequent series), in the appointment of the first son of Igede as the High Court Judge; and in the creation/restoration of Oju II State Constituency. Prof. Omenka also played a key role in the electrification of many communities in Igede land and in connecting them to the National grid. He equally contributed in the award and construction of Oyonyo road and bridge.
Because of Prof Omenka’s close rapport with Governor Gabriel Suswan, Igede nation was one of the priorities of Governor Suswan’s administration. Apart from attracting physical infrastructures to Igede land, Prof Omenka also played some pivotal roles in the appointment of Igede sons and daughters into key positions in the government, such as the appointment of Governor’s Aides; appointment into a high profiled position in the State Civil Service; and Benue State University Administration at the material time, just to mention but a few. I can emphatically say that Igede nation never had it better than during the period of Prof Omenka’s commissionership in the administration of Governor Suswan. This is because Prof Omenka was/is the personal friend and close ally of Governor Suswan. The Igede nation needs to build such healthy relationships with great men and women from other tribes, both within and outside Benue State to bridge the minority gap in order to attract development to our fatherland.
Undoubtedly, Prof. Omenka, having built competence, confidence, trust and good relationships with his equals and the mighty, the elderly and younger ones, across the academic and political divides, is highly respected among his contemporaries. Every Igede son and daughter of goodwill ought to be proud of this Agba son. I can avouch that Prof Omenka is among the think tank that Igede nation, Benue State and indeed, Nigeria should seek after, to change the deficit in leadership at this critical moment of our nation/statehood.
We must, therefore, leverage on this exceptional son of Igede nation by queuing him up in the squads to lead Igrede nation in the debate for power sharing in Benue State in general and in Benue State Senatorial District (Zone C) in particular as we are en route to 2023 general elections.
Finally, it is possible Prof. Omenka would not even be interested in contesting any election, or accepting any political appointment, into any of the positions that I had earlier highlighted in my first publication on the grounds of personal principles and values or because of his present engagement as the Head of Department, Dept. of Public Administration, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, Federal University, Wukari and other pressing engagements. However, given the personality of Prof. Omenka and the tremendous respect many people from other tribes have for him as a rare breed of impeccable character, I believe, Prof Omenka has the capacity, dexterity and negotiation skills, coupled with his tall academic credentials, to present Igede’s position to other ethnic nationalities for fair and equitable distribution of political positions in Benue State, come 2023 and beyond.
Igede Ihiooo!
Look forward to the 4th Igede bold Personality….
James Udor Ebe, Esq.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in this write up are strictly those of the author, based on his personal convictions, research and information sourced from relevant materials about the individual(s). It is not a sponsored or paid advert for any personal, clannish or political interest. The author takes personal responsibility for any information about any personality that is inaccurately stated and/or typographical or grammatical errors contained therein.
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