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Mike Okibe Onoja
Born	September 29, 1946
Nationality	Nigeria
Education	Roman Catholic Mission School, Agila District Methodist Central School, Igumale Saint Mary's Primary School, Otukpo Saint James Junior Seminary, Keffi Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria University of Colorado, USA Williams College, Massachusetts USA
Notable work	The Living Seed
Political party	People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
Spouse	Justina Onoja
Honours	Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) Honorary Doctor of Management Science from the University of Mkar
Website	http://www.mikeonoja.com/

Mike Okibe Onoja (born September 29, 1948) is a Nigerian philanthropist, entrepreneur, politician and administrator from Agila Town, Ado, Benue State. He retired from public service in 2003 after 31 years. He is actively involved in politics and is the Chairman and CEO of Monsoons Resources Investment International Limited. He also holds "Chieftaincy" titles as the Agama of Agila and Akanaba K'Idoma of Idoma people.

Education

Mike Okibe Onoja began his education in the Roman Catholic mission School in the Agila district, Ado Local government, Benue State in 1954. He left for the Methodist Central School, Igumale, where he studied for a year before leaving for Saint Mary's Primary School, Otukpo, where he completed his primary education in 1961. After his primary education, he proceeded to Saint James Junior Seminary, Keffi, in 1962, graduating in 1966. In 1969, he was admitted into Ahmadu Bello University, (also known as “ABU”) Zaria, where he studied Economics before graduating in 1972. He later embarked on a Diploma program in Econometrics at the University of Colorado in 1975. Mike Onoja obtained his master's degree in Development Economics from Williams College inMassachusetts in 1976.

Career

Mike Onoja's first job was as an account clerk in John Holt PLC, Jos from 1967 to 1969. He spent the remaining years of his career in different ministries, including the Federal Ministry of National Planning, Federal Ministry of Transport, Federal Ministry of Industries, and Ministry of Defense. He began his public service career in the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in 1972 as a Planning Officer, grade II. He was promoted to Planning Officer, grade I in 1974. After undertaking a course in the US, he was promoted again to Senior Planning Officer in 1976. In 1979, he was promoted to Principal Planning Officer. After a year, he was promoted to Chief Planning Officer. After the military coup of the Muhammadu Buhari regime, there was a shakeup in the public service which led to his transfer to the Federal Ministry of Transport as an undersecretary and later he was promoted to the Deputy Secretary. He was again transferred to the Federal Ministry of Industries, now called the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment in 1984. In the same year, he was transferred to Special Military Tribunal, Kaduna zone as the secretary of the Tribunal. He was reassigned to the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) and deployed to the army department as the Deputy Secretary and later promoted to the Principal Secretary in 1987. He got another promotion to Deputy Director of the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) in 1990 and was further promoted to Director in 1992 by the then Minister of Defence, Sani Abacha. In 1994, he was promoted to Director General/Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria). He remained in the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) until 1999 and was transferred to the Ministry of Power and Steel. His next stop was the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as the Permanent Secretary on Economic Affairs, where he remained until 2001. He later returned to the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and retired from public service in 2003. During his career, he attended United Nations sessions in New York from 1988 to 1999. He attended meetings of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Manila, Philippines and Group of 77 in Arusha, Tanzania. He attended and represented the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning on ECOWAS meetings between 1978 and 1980.

Politics

Mike Onoja's first emergence on the political scene was in 2007, when he entered the primary election for Governorship in Benue State under the then ruling political party, the People's Democratic Party, against the likes of Gabriel Suswam, Steven Lawani, and Patrick Abba Moro. He ran again with the same party in 2015 in the Benue South Senatorial primary election, but later bowed out of the race for Senator David Mark, who was the incumbent Senate President at the time, to best serve the interests of the Idoma nation. After the defeat of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) at the 2015 general election in Nigeria by the All Progressives Congress he, and other political big wits of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) later decamped to the All Progressives Congress in 2016. He returned to People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) in the run-up to the 2019 Benue south Senatorial election. After the PDP's Senatorial Primary election in 2018, Mike Onoja again decamped from the party to the Social Democratic Party (Nigeria) after expressing his dissatisfaction with the PDP's conduct of the primary election.

Business activities

Mike Onoja is the Chairman/CEO of Moonsons Resources Investment International, which is a holding company with various subsidiary companies specializing in Imports and Exports, general contracts, general distribution, real estate, petroleum services and general investment. He also served as Chairman/CEO for various subsidiary companies such as;

1. Monasons Ventures
2. Dominion Investment Resources
3. Moon Court Property
4. Century Petroleum
5. Fairmount Consolidation limited.

Philanthropic activities

Mike Onoja has been said to greatly impact his community. He constructed 2 km of road from Agila to Akpoge. He is also known to have helped indigenous students fund their education and sponsored trips for sick people to seek treatment abroad. Apart from his work in the community, he is known to be a major funder of educational institutions, most notably the University of Mkar and Benue State University, as well as churches.

Awards

Mike Onoja was conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 1999 by General Abdulsalami Abubakar. In 2009, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Management Science (D.Sc.) Honoris Causa from the University of Mkar. In 2017, University of Abuja in its 21st Convocation ceremony honored him with a Doctor of Letters Degree. The Benue State University, Makurdi conferred on him another doctorate degree in the same year.

Personal life

Mike Onoja is married to Justina Onoja and they have five children. He is a devout Catholic and even considered becoming a priest as he stated in his autobiography 'The Living Seed'.

References

1. "Monsoons Resources Investment Internationa". Monsoons Resources Investment Internationa. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
2. "Celebration Mike Onaja". Press Reader. This Day. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
3. ^ Osso, Nyaknno (8 March 2017). "Onoja, Chief Mike". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
4. ^
5. "Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment". Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
6. Jide, "Ex-Benue deputy governor Makes Shocking Confession on 2007 Elections" Archived 2018-12-04 at the Wayback Machine, The Herald, Retrieved October 2018
7. Ameh Comrade Godwin, "Benue Zone C 2015: Mike Onoja steps down for David Mark" Archived 2018-12-04 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Post, Retrieved 17th October 2018
8. Olademeji Ramon, "I take responsibility for PDP's defeat in 2015- Jonathan" Archived 2018-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, Punch, Nov 23rd 2017
9. Benue News, "Lawani, Sam Ode, Okibe Onoja Decamp To APC Ahead Of Benue South Senatorial Rerun Election" Archived 2018-12-04 at the Wayback Machine, Benue News, Retrieved October 17th 2018
10. Segun Adio, "Okibe Onoja decamps from APC to PDP, declares for Zone C Senate" Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine, The Sun, Retrieved October 14th 2018
11. Ben Idah, "Mike Okibe Onoja defects to SDP after losing PDP ticket to Abba Moro, gives reasons", Idoma Voice, Retrieved October 18th 2018
12. Monsoons Resources Investment International, "Monsoons Resources Investment Team" Archived 2016-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 18th October 2018
13. Monsoons Resources Investment International, "Monsoons Resources Investment International Limited" Archived 2016-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28th November 2018
14. "Nigerian National Awards". Nigerian Muse. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
15. Sunday, Simon. "Philanthropist lauded on job creation, youth empowerment". Press reader. daily trust. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
16. Idoko, Clement (23 February 2017). "UniAbuja graduates 13, 218 students at 21 convocation". Nigerian Tribune. Nigerian Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
17. Iorhemen, Cephas (2017-04-04). "Benue varsity VC appeals for more funding". News Telegraph. News Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2018.

• Misplaced Pages articles needing copy edit from December 2018
• 1948 births
• Living people