General, The Ambassador

A peep into the antecedents of Major General Godwin Umo (retd.), the sole  Akwa Ibom indigene among the 46 non-career Ambassadors nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, last week

BY INEMESIT INA

Professor, the Ambassador! That was how then President Olusegun Obasanjo hailed Professor Jibril Aminu (as reported by the then celebrated Editor of Thisday, Olusegun Adeniyi) when the medical doctor-turned-politician visited the President shortly after his nomination as an Ambassador in July 1999. Aminu had been everything at the top – Professor of Cardiology; pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Universities’ Commission; Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri; Minister of Education; Minister of Petroleum Resources; a national leader of the Congress of National Consensus (CNC), one of the five registered parties in the General Sani Abacha regime; a convener of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and a vice presidential contender (before Obasanjo picked Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in January 1999). The ambassadorial nomination was another feather to Aminu’s hat and Obasanjo was apparently excited at having such a star as his envoy (Aminu was subsequently posted to the United States of America, one of Nigeria’s top foreign missions). Aminu later became a two-term Senator (2003-2011), the sole kingmaker of Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako in 2007 and the “linkman” used by Obasanjo to decimate and chase out Atiku from PDP between 2005 and 2007.

Adamawa State might have produced Professor, The Ambassador in 1999, now Akwa Ibom State looks set to produce General, The Ambassador. Like Aminu, Major General Godwin George Umo (retd.) was already an accomplished man before his nomination as an Ambassador by President Muhammadu Buhari, last week. A retired two-star general, former Commander of the Nigerian Army Signals’ Corps, electronics’ engineer, cleric, hotelier and politician, he is now on the verge of representing Nigeria abroad as the President’s envoy.

The Heavyweight Ambassadors

There are usually two sets of Ambassadors the world over – the career diplomats and the non-career diplomats, usually politicians and statesmen.

In July 2016, Buhari sent a list of 47 career diplomats to the Senate for confirmation as Ambassadors. Among them was an Akwa Ibom indigene, Inyang Udo Inyang, from Ikot Akwa Ebom in Ediene Clan of Abak Local Government Area (LGA). What was remaining was the list of non-career Ambassadors which was finally sent by the President to the Senate on Thursday, last week.

Apart from Umo, other prominent persons among the non-career Ambassadors are Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto and Alhaji Goni Modu Zana Bura, former Deputy Governors of Niger and Yobe States’ respectively, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, a two-term Senator and two-term Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr. Nya Eyoma Asuquo (Cross River), and Alhaji Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), former Members of the House of Representatives, Professor Mohammed Yisa, a former Deputy Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Justice George Oguntade (Lagos), a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sylvanus Nsofor (Imo), a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Dr. Enyantu Ifenne (Benue), the pioneer Director-General of the National Commission for Women, Major General Chris Eze (retd.), the leader of All Progressives’ Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Professor Dandatti Abdulkadir (Kano), a former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Oji Ngofa (Rivers), the APC Deputy National Secretary and Barrister Sola Iji, a former Ondo State Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the APC legacy parties.

Two of the nominees, Dame Pauline Tallen, a former Minister of Science and Technology and later Deputy Governor of Plateau State, and Dr. Usman Bugaje (Katsina), a former Political Adviser to the Vice President (Atiku) and later Member of House of Representatives, have declined their nomination on personal grounds.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which the Senate referred the list to, is likely to begin the screening of the nominees next week.

Akwa Ibom’s Ambassadorial Representation Since 1999

The first non-career ambassadorial nomination from Akwa Ibom after the return to democracy on May 29, 1999 was stormy.

The State PDP leadership, under the guidance of then Governor Victor Attah, had recommended Chief Etim Okpoyo, a former Deputy Governor of the state and the PDP leader in Oro Nation, to Obasanjo for nomination as an Ambassador.

But Dr. Patrick Dele Cole, one of Obasanjo’s closest aides then from Rivers State, had other ideas. He recommended Late Professor Okon Edet Uya for a second tour of duty as an Ambassador. Cole and Uya had come a long way as historians-cum-academics and Ambassadors to the two South American giants, Brazil and Argentina, at the same time during the General Ibrahim Babangida regime.

Cole almost had his way. Attah and other PDP leaders in Akwa Ibom were livid when they realized what was happening. They protested to Obasanjo that Uya belonged to the rival All Peoples’ Party (APP), being a close associate of Chief Edet Amana, a former APP presidential aspirant. In the end, Okpoyo, from the same Urue Offong/Oruko LGA as Uya, sailed through the storm. He was posted to Italy where he served till 2002 when he resigned to challenge Attah for the PDP gubernatorial nomination.

During former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s first term, Dr. Etim Uye, from Udung Uko LGA, was made Ambassador to Greece by Late President Umaru Yar’Adua on Akpabio’s recommendation in 2008. Uye, an engineer as Okpoyo, already had made a name as the pioneer Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Works, pioneer Rector of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, founding PDP leader in Udung Uko LGA and pioneer Chairman of Oro Think Tank.

Four years later, Chief Assam Assam, Akpabio’s Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice from Eket LGA, was appointed by then President Goodluck Jonathan as Ambassador to Russia. He resigned in 2014 to run for the PDP governorship ticket.

The career Ambassadors from Akwa Ibom since 1999 included Ambassadors Sam Edem (Nsit Ubium), Bassey Eyo (Okobo), Emmanuel Otu-Okon (Uyo) and Gregory Okon (Uruan).

Umo, the Boy Soldier Who Became an Accomplished Officer and Gentleman

Right from childhood, Umo, who turned 60 on August 15, 2016, had been with the military. As a child, he attended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, from 1970 to 1974. He started his officer cadet training at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, and graduated in 1977. As a young officer, he attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, from 1978 to 1981, where he studied Electronics and Telecommunications’ Engineering.

During his 35 years of service in the Army, Umo held numerous strategic appointments including Director of Training at Army Headquarters, Abuja (January 2006-January 2007), Director of Standards and Combat Readiness at the same Army Headquarters (January 2007-January 2008), Director of Civil-Military Relations, Defence Headquarters, Abuja (January-March 2008), Commander of Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontagora (March 2008-February 2009), Director of Communications, Defence Headquarters (February-June 2009), Commander, Corps of Signals, Apapa, Lagos (June 2009-September 2010) and Director of Armed Forces Simulation Centre, Jaji (September 2010- March 2011).

He was honoured by ex-President Jonathan with the prestigious national award of Officer of the Order of Niger (OON), having distinguished himself as an officer and gentleman.

Like Father, Like Son: A Soldier and a Cleric

Umo is a soldier’s son who followed his father’s career path in the Army and church.

His father, Late Colonel Cornelius Mfon George (retd), was the first Nigerian Commander of the Army Education Corps (instructively, the son later rose to similarly command the Signals’ Corps). After retirement, the colonel returned to Abak and presided over the United Pentecostal Church of Nigeria, a church founded by his own father, Late Reverend George Udo Umo, in the early 1930s.

Today, the son, the general, leads that church which is still headquartered in their home village, Utu Abak, in Abak Clan of Abak LGA.

The General as an Hotelier

A versatile man, Umo is equally an hotelier. He owns Angellyne Guest House, located along Osongama Estate in Uyo and Convent Road in Abak.

This writer actually witnessed the opening of the hotel in Uyo by the then Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere, in 2012.

Mr. Humility

Despite his accomplishment in life, Umo appears to be a humble man. Unknown to him, he gave that impression on May 29, 2011, the day of Akpabio’s inauguration for a second term. At the crowded old Government House Banquet Hall, the venue of the post-inauguration lunch, there were far fewer seats than the guests, many of whom complained bitterly. Umo, then a serving two-star general, was one of those without a seat. But standing tall in the crowd with no chips on his shoulders, he betrayed no signs of indignation, unease or fatigue. It was humility at its best.

This writer had to draw the attention of two Government House protocol officers, who were obviously overwhelmed by the crowd, to such a protocol lapse before Umo could be provided a seat.

The General as a Politician

As a serving officer during Akpabio’s first term (2007-2011), Umo was a regular guest at state events. He was usually given special recognition at such events.

In 2012, a year after Akpabio’s inauguration for a second term, Umo retired from the Army and returned to Akwa Ibom. He plunged fully into his hotel business and the church but still found time for politicking.

By 2013, there was a speculation that the general was going to challenge Akpabio for the PDP Senate ticket of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. The following year, he confirmed that he was going to run for the National Assembly but for the lower chamber, the House of Representatives. That generated another speculation that he had struck a deal with Akpabio to forego his Senate ambition in return for the House of Representatives’ ticket. But as it turned out, it was either there was no deal or it was breached.

The PDP House of Representatives’ primary in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency looked set to be a clash of titans, what with the calibre of aspirants. They included Umo, Emmanuel Ekon, the incumbent, Barr. Patrick Udomfang, the Director of Legal Services at PDP National Headquarters, Abuja, Aniekan Umanah, then the Commissioner of Information, and Uwem Udoma, a former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly. Also in the race were Victoria Mel Udoh, a former PDP State Woman Leader, and Bishop Awajiakan Ottong, the Leader of Christ Faith Church, a long-standing church with huge membership in the federal constituency.

But in the end, it was an anti-climax. There was not much of a contest. It became clear that Akpabio was supporting the return of Ekon, who was widely believed to be the closest federal legislator from Akwa Ibom to Jonathan and his wife, Patience. Aniekan Umanah and a number of others withdrew. Uwem Udoma left for APC. It became a straight fight between Ekon and Udomfang. Ekon easily won.

Apparently dissatisfied with the way the House of Representatives’ nomination was handled, Umo decided to challenge Akpabio himself in the general election. He needed a platform. The APC ticket was already with Obong Inibehe Okori. The Labour Party ticket was problematic. The general finally picked the ticket of the little-known Peoples’ Democratic Movement (PDM). He finished third in the March 2015 election.

Soon afterwards, Umo joined the APC. He became easily integrated in the party so much so that he made the delegation from Akwa Ibom that visited then President-elect Buhari in Abuja shortly before Buhari’s inauguration.

Before long, Umo will be representing the President in a foreign country as an Ambassador or rather General, The Ambassador (if Obasanjo were to put it).