By Okoi Obono-Obla
The appointment of Major General Okoi Ubi Obono (rtd.) as Senior Special Adviser on Security to the Government of Cross River State by Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu on 6 June 2023 is a pointer to what happens when appointments are made devoid of favouritism, nepotism and other primordial considerations that often blight appointments in Nigeria, but are based solely on professionalism, competence, integrity and the principle of putting a square peg in a square hole. When that happens, everything aligns perfectly and the result is stellar performance that earns government commendation.
A Distinguished Military Career
General Obono’s pedigree is impeccable:
Commissioned into the Nigerian Army Artillery Corps in 1986 as a Lieutenant after completing his cadet training at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.
A Fellow of the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja.
Promoted to Major-General in December 2016 following his role as Acting Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Artillery Corps.
He served in Liberia and Sierra Leone as a young officer with the ECOMOG forces in the late 1990s and early 2000s and distinguished himself as a professional worthy of his billing. As he confided in me, while serving in Sierra Leone, he and a squadron of troops under his command were ambushed by rebels. They got lost in the thick forest of Sierra Leone and lost contact with their forward base for six months. They were presumed missing in action, only for him and his troops to resurface at the forward base, to the consternation and relief of their colleagues.
The Cross River Test
He has brought aplomb, panache, integrity, competence and professionalism to his role as Senior Adviser to the Government of Cross River State in a difficult terrain. The state shares land and maritime boundaries with Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea, with maritime proximity to Equatorial Guinea, and also borders states in the Niger Delta with treacherous marshy and swampy terrains that had become hideouts for daredevil criminal gangs and kidnapping syndicates which unleashed terror and ransom kidnapping in Calabar.
Within six months of assuming office, he took the battle to the gangsters and drove them out with ruthless efficiency and superior tactical manoeuvres never before seen in the annals of the state. The manoeuvring and tactical drive of Major General Obono deserves to be adopted and studied by other states facing insecurity.
A Model for Other States
The Governor Bassey Otu model for addressing insecurity, kidnapping and terrorism through the appointment of General Obono is a pointer to the fact that states in Nigeria, in partnership and collaboration with federal security agencies, can achieve results if they commit their minds and resources and appoint competent personnel.
When security is addressed, it resonates and leads to advancement in other areas of development, as no meaningful development can take place in any environment where insecurity festers.
In Conclusion: Cross River under Governor Otu provides a compelling case study. Before his administration, insecurity had become a fundamental challenge. The turning point was the decision to invest massively in security infrastructure and to appoint a retired General with over 30 years of field and command experience as State Security Adviser. The lesson for other states is clear: security is not rocket science. It requires political will, adequate funding, synergy with federal security agencies, and above all, merit-based appointment of competent hands. When security is secured, development follows.
