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Rare are men of extraordinary brevity. Brevity in decision taking at critical moments is what distinguishes a leader and separates him from the milling crowd of other posturing leaders. It’s a gift to be courageous, purposeful, daring and focused. Focus is keeping one’s eyes on the ball while maintaining balance of good for the state and good for the individuals. Many people in leadership would prevaricate in matters of critical decision, particularly when it has to do with matters of some ‘colossus’ in the society and abuse of the society by the downtrodden.
In these instances, Dr. Josef-Ken Umunnakwe Onoh (the Denge and the Oka-ome II in Ngwo) has distinguished himself as a man who has been able to sail through murky waters and walked past landmines. He has been able to dare where the devils refrained and stirred the hornets’ nest for the purposes of asking people to keep to the tenets of social norms, other than pulling down a bridge against others simply because they have crossed it.
Such is the difficult job of an enforcement officer who has to contend with different segments of the society at a time when values for rule of law has been cast into the abyss and when people have been made to sing bellicose songs such as that ‘all is fair in war’ and that ‘the end determines the means.’ It’s obvious that some people purposefully choose to become offenders of the law, whether as a poor or rich person, believing they could easily get away with their mess, but Onoh’s three and a half years as the Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) has revealed that a ravaging tides could be contained using different approaches to tame the offensives.
Counting on his successes in the past three years would take ages, but suffice it to note that the young Onoh came into limelight after due mentorship by a father whose life was dedicated to liberation struggles and opium of his subjugated Wawa people. The late His Excellency, Chief C.C Onoh would not be forgotten in hurry for making a delicacy such as Okpa, (a bean cake) become an acceptable staple food in Igboland. Onoh was then mocked for savouring his local delicacy in public when the Ijekebes detested the rich-in-protein delicacy.
Young Josef Onoh became a parliamentarian in 2003, printing his footsteps in those sands of time. He was one of the youngest members to be elected as a member of Enugu state House of Assembly representing Enugu North state constituency where he was Chairman House of Assembly committee on Finance and Appropriation. As a Special Adviser on Special Projects to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, he was also appointed as the Chairman Joint Task force Ministry of Environment and Capital Territory before he was appointed as Executive Chairman of ECTDA. Onoh made every effort to recommence work at the abandoned International Conference Center Enugu, but was probably not given all the support to succeed.
At the Capital Territory, he has reputedly implemented strict enforcement of Capital Territory regulation, even where it seemed impossible. His sense of history of the state is so impeccable that his leadership trait is not in doubt. By his image, he has exhibited zero tolerance for corruption and frivolities. His little public life has shown him as one who does not condone profiteering which is the reason why sanity in adherence to town planning regulation has returned to Enugu capital city.
Onoh has resolved much traffic congestions in Enugu such as at Osisatech by Enugu state library in 2020. Other areas where traffic congestion reduced include Parklane GRA, Otigba roundabout, where he restored the three drummers’ statue at Otigba junction. He installed the 1983 plane crash memorial aircraft at the entrance of Akanu Ibiam International Airport Emene. He lost his eldest sister and cousin in that fatal crash.
Enugu has witnessed more commercial building approvals, shopping plazas, including the first Next shopping mall in Enugu that can compete with Shoprite and Spar; hotels with high rise buildings that now compliments the Enugu coal city skyline.
In his private enterprise, Onoh was the Executive Director of Eastern Bottlers Company Limited, makers of Limca soft drinks owned by his late father. The Young Onoh presently has to his credit the development of personal estates such as the Tenerife Gardens, valley estate extension and hospitality and leisure outfits.
As he turns a new year today, August 31, the sky remains his limit. There is no boundary in the height God has set for him and all that we can wish for is his continued progress, to dance in the wider arena of Nigeria space and to continue to follow his destiny of shaping the society for the better.
Happy birthday Denge, Oka-ome II na’Ngwo and Aninefongwu na’Agbaja. May your light continue to shine!
