Dominic Oneya
Encyclopedia
Colonel Dominic Obukadata Oneya was Administrator of Kano State
, Nigeria
from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
, then Administrator of Benue State
from August 1998 to May 1999 during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
, handing over power to the elected executive governor George Akume
on 29 May 1999.
Later, he became Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association
.
, Ughelli North
Local Government Area, Delta State
.
His family is Urhobo
.
He attended the Baptist Academy, Yaba, Lagos
(1962-1967), then enlisted in the Nigerian Defence Academy
in May 1969, earning a commission in the
Infantry Corps in September 1971. Oneya attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University
) (1977-1980), earning B.Sc degree in physical education. He attended the Command and Staff College, Jaji
, Kaduna
(1983-1984) and the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
, Kingston, Ontario
, Canada
(1987-1988).
Adjutant of 31 Infantry Battalion (1971-1972),
Instructor at 4 Division Training School (1972-1973) and
Instructor at Nigerian Army Military Training College, Jaji (1975 - 1977).
As a Staff Officer from 1977 he served at Army Headquarters Lagos and in operations with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(1980-1981).
He was Commandant of the Nigerian Army Physical Training School, Zaria (1985-1987),
Directing Staff, Command and Staff College, Jaji (1987-1989) and
Directing Staff, Ghana Armed Forces College Teshe, Ghana
(1989-1991).
He was appointed Commander, 82 Motorized Infantry Brigade, Kano (1993-1995),
Commander, 16 Battalion, Nigerian ECOMOG Contingent in Liberia
and then
Director of administration, Training and Doctrine Command (1995-July 1996).
On 22 August 1996, General Sani Abacha
appointed him Administrator of Kano State
, Nigeria
. In August 1998 he traded places with Aminu Isa Kontagora
to become Administrator of Benue State
during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
, handing over to the elected executive governor George Akume
on 29 May 1999.
Akume had served as Permanent Secretary for Brigadier General Dominic Oneya.
While governor of Benue State he initiated a project to build a major fertilizer plant, with the government paying about N70 million for preliminary work. However, there were delays and setbacks, and the project was only competed in February 2007.
In February 2002, talking of a decision to replace Amodu Shaibu by Festus Onigbinde
as manager, he said Nigeria should have gained more than a bronze medal at the African Nations Cup, given the wealth of talent among Nigerian footballers. He was looking forward to stronger performances at the upcoming World Cup
, the 2004 Olympics and the 2003 All-Africa Games
which would be hosted by Nigeria.
In July 2008 Dominic Oneya headed a team charged by the National Sports Commission with investigating allegations of corruption in the local league, in response to comments from former Kano Pillars coach Kadiri Ikhana.
Speaking on Lagos radio in December 2009, Dominic Oneya appealed to Nigerians to give Super Eagles Head Coach, Shuaibu Amodu, a free rein to do his job.
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
, then Administrator of Benue State
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
from August 1998 to May 1999 during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar is a Nigerian general who was President of Nigeria from June 9, 1998 until May 29, 1999. He succeeded Sani Abacha upon Abacha's death. It was during Abubakar's leadership that Nigeria adopted its new constitution on May 5, 1999, which provided for multiparty...
, handing over power to the elected executive governor George Akume
George Akume
George Akume is a Nigerian politician, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was governor of Benue State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and was then elected to the Senate....
on 29 May 1999.
Later, he became Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association
Nigeria Football Association
The Nigeria Football Federation organises domestic and international football in Nigeria. It was formally launched in 1945 and formed the first Nigerian national football team in 1949. It joined FIFA and the CAF in 1959...
.
Birth and education
Dominic Obukadata Oneya was born 26 May 1948 in AgbarhoAgbarho
Agbarho is a town in the Ughelli North LGA of Delta State, Nigeria, and is located near the city of Warri. The Urhobo are the main tribes living within this area. They have a ruler who leads the whole of Agbarbo community named "The Osuivie of Agbarho Kingdom". This is made up of communities such...
, Ughelli North
Ughelli North
Ughelli North is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the city of Ughelli.It has an area of 818 km² and a population of 321,028 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 333....
Local Government Area, Delta State
Delta State
Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
.
His family is Urhobo
Urhobo people
The Urhobo are people of southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger River delta. The Urhobo is the major ethnic group in Delta State; the Delta State is one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They speak Urhobo, a language in Niger–Congo group...
.
He attended the Baptist Academy, Yaba, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
(1962-1967), then enlisted in the Nigerian Defence Academy
Nigerian Defence Academy
The Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna is the only Military University in Nigeria.The NDA was established in January 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College , which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College on independence...
in May 1969, earning a commission in the
Infantry Corps in September 1971. Oneya attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University is a government-owned and -operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria...
) (1977-1980), earning B.Sc degree in physical education. He attended the Command and Staff College, Jaji
Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji
The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the army, air force and navy. It is near the village of Jaji, Nigeria, about 35 km northeast of Kaduna in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.-History:The Army...
, Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
(1983-1984) and the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
The Canadian Army Command and Staff College , formerly the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, is a school for officers of the Canadian Forces, specializing in staff and army operations courses...
, Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1987-1988).
Military Career
Command positions during his military career includeAdjutant of 31 Infantry Battalion (1971-1972),
Instructor at 4 Division Training School (1972-1973) and
Instructor at Nigerian Army Military Training College, Jaji (1975 - 1977).
As a Staff Officer from 1977 he served at Army Headquarters Lagos and in operations with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
(1980-1981).
He was Commandant of the Nigerian Army Physical Training School, Zaria (1985-1987),
Directing Staff, Command and Staff College, Jaji (1987-1989) and
Directing Staff, Ghana Armed Forces College Teshe, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(1989-1991).
He was appointed Commander, 82 Motorized Infantry Brigade, Kano (1993-1995),
Commander, 16 Battalion, Nigerian ECOMOG Contingent in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and then
Director of administration, Training and Doctrine Command (1995-July 1996).
On 22 August 1996, General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
appointed him Administrator of Kano State
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. In August 1998 he traded places with Aminu Isa Kontagora
Aminu Isa Kontagora
Colonel Aminu Isa Kontagora was Administrator of Benue State, Nigeria from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, then Administrator of Kano State from September 1998 to May 1999 during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, handing over...
to become Administrator of Benue State
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar is a Nigerian general who was President of Nigeria from June 9, 1998 until May 29, 1999. He succeeded Sani Abacha upon Abacha's death. It was during Abubakar's leadership that Nigeria adopted its new constitution on May 5, 1999, which provided for multiparty...
, handing over to the elected executive governor George Akume
George Akume
George Akume is a Nigerian politician, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was governor of Benue State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and was then elected to the Senate....
on 29 May 1999.
Akume had served as Permanent Secretary for Brigadier General Dominic Oneya.
While governor of Benue State he initiated a project to build a major fertilizer plant, with the government paying about N70 million for preliminary work. However, there were delays and setbacks, and the project was only competed in February 2007.
Later career
On 17 January 2000 Dominic Oneya was appointed Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association.In February 2002, talking of a decision to replace Amodu Shaibu by Festus Onigbinde
Festus Onigbinde
Festus Adegboye Onigbinde is a Nigerian football manager. He coached Nigeria national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, an achievement he had already gotten, between 1982 and 1984. In 1984, Mr. Onigbinde took Nigeria into the final match of the 1984 Africa Nations Cup. Nigeria lost 1-3 to Cameroun...
as manager, he said Nigeria should have gained more than a bronze medal at the African Nations Cup, given the wealth of talent among Nigerian footballers. He was looking forward to stronger performances at the upcoming World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, the 2004 Olympics and the 2003 All-Africa Games
2003 All-Africa Games
The 8th All Africa Games were October 5-17, 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. 53 countries participated in 23 sports. The main venue was the newly constructed Abuja Stadium...
which would be hosted by Nigeria.
In July 2008 Dominic Oneya headed a team charged by the National Sports Commission with investigating allegations of corruption in the local league, in response to comments from former Kano Pillars coach Kadiri Ikhana.
Speaking on Lagos radio in December 2009, Dominic Oneya appealed to Nigerians to give Super Eagles Head Coach, Shuaibu Amodu, a free rein to do his job.