Onu not appointed SGF – Group

The Onu Political Organisation (TOPO) has urged residents of Abakaliki and the public to discountenance rumour that Dr Ogbonnaya Onu has been appointed as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The group said it was shocked over speculations on the social media that Onu, the immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, had been appointed SGF by President Muhammadu Buhari.

TOPO is coalition of political groups which identify and share Onu’s political ideals and philosophy.

The National Publicity Secretary of TOPO, Chief Egwu Chima, told newsmen in Abakaliki on Saturday that the rumour was unfounded, mischievous and had no iota of truth.

Chima urged Onu’s supporters, fans and loyalists to disregard and discountenance the said rumour.

“First and foremost, the organisation believes that Onu is qualified to be appointed into any political position in Nigeria.

“But the mode of the news and the mode of the announcement of the appointment is one which organisations like ours must question and we questioned it.

“Personally, I have been with Onu as his Personal Assistant when he was Governor of Abia State and I have remained with him so, I know him as a very calm character

“Onu is a very easy going character and is not somebody who speculates; he is not somebody who allows ambition to rule his life.

“He is not somebody who dwells on the realm of speculations and he is not a person who jumps the gun to assume things.

“What we are saying is that neither the political organisation nor any member of the organisation has heard any hint from him that something like that will be coming our way”, Chima said.

He said that what was very evident was that Onu as a former minister distinguished himself while he presided over the affairs at the Ministry of Science and Technology and was never linked to corruption allegation.

He said that the former minister believed in results as had been widely acknowledged and attested to by those he worked with at the ministry.

He said that Onu’s intimidating credentials and achievements qualified him for any position in Nigeria.

“Onu distinguished himself as a minister in the Federal ministry of Science and Technology and all we know is that our master is corruption free and that he is a man who believes in results and he is achievement oriented.

“The best we expect is that he is a candidate for the ‘Next Level’ no more, no less.

“If there is anything, we know that Buhari must be credited with super intelligence of knowing who to work with, what to do and when.

“It is not by propaganda, it is not by delegation and it is not by insinuation; so, when the information came and we never heard from our master and we knew that he can never be involved in anything like that.

“When the rumour came without any official confirmation from Onu, the tendency is to begin to think about two things – because his credentials are too great and intimidating, his political opponents in the zone may have begun to wish him death or to pull him down.

“Many over ambitious politicians from his zone believe that with him around that they may never get to achieve their vaulting ambitions the same way they wished Buhari dead and may have devised this strategy to portray him in bad light.

“Onu is not behind the rumour and can never be. It is the antics of his detractors who want to blackmail him and pin him against the establishment; he is as innocent as a new born baby.

“Secondly, the political atmosphere in Nigeria today is one where people are feeling that the South-East has been totally marginalised, creating a situation where people are now thinking that there may be a thought out pattern to compensate the zone.

“In what direction and which capacity we do not know but the interesting thing and positive thing it is that due to the nature, character, comportment and ingenuity of Onu, anything that wants to come from APC into Ebonyi everybody wants to believe it should be Onu”.

The group said that the rumour made the people to jubilate because of the love and respect they had for the former minister.

The organisation urged Abakaliki residents, Onu’s supporters and the public to disregard the rumour, stressing that God is the ultimate decider of all things.