Maj. Gen. Paul Ufuoma Omu (rtd), soldier and administrator, rose to the rank of Major-General and was a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, AFRC before his exit from the army in 1990. Omu served as military governor of the South-Eastern State during the Murtala Mohammed administration and was a point man of the Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade between 1984 and 1985 when he served as chairman of one of the feared military tribunals established by that government to try alleged corrupt politicians.
Omu also served as director-general of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS before his recent engagement as chairman of the board of the institute.
Omu is married to Stella, a former senator who rose to become the Senate Chief Whip and in that position became the first and only female president pro tempore of the Senate.
In this interview he shares his views on the events that culminated in the death of Gen. Murtala Muhammed forty years ago among other issues. Excerpts:

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Ochuko Akuopha

It has been a quiet life since you disengaged from the military. What have you been really doing?

It has been a quiet life since I was born. Even in active service, I was not known to be a loud person; I have been quiet from youth till I joined the army and retired, so there has been no difference at all.

Why did you choose this quiet retirement to your community above the common practice of generals taking to partisan politics after retirement?
I gave that background that it is my nature. The army didn’t change me and politics certainly is not for me. I prefer my quiet life and that is why I retired home. I have been home now for 25 years since I retired and that is my life; I am not involved even in local politics.

But you are the immediate past President General of the Isoko Development Union, IDU. That’s more like local politics?
The IDU is non-political. It is a socio-cultural organization and it wasn’t like I wanted to be PG. There was a crisis and they pleaded with me to come to rescue and bring some sanity into the system and that was what I did for two years. As you know, I have handed over to a younger person to carry on.

There was stability for the two years I came in. I told them I was a PDP card carrying member, but that doesn’t make me a politician. I can vote but I didn’t seek for political office. Being in IDU is sheer community service; it has nothing to do with politics.

You were one of the key players when the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed was Head of State. Can you share your personal view about the life and times of the former Head of State and what he stood for?

This question is a difficult one because when you talk about your former boss, you have to be very careful of what you say. Muhammed was an outgoing and very energetic person and when he took over government, he had to appoint people to assist him; that is, governors to take over the states and ministers to run the ministries and so on.

I was in far away Maiduguri as Brigade Commander then when, on the radio, I was appointed military governor of South Eastern State, now Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. So that was my first direct relationship, because in the army he was in the Signals while I was in the Infantry. We really did not work close together before the government in which he became Head of State and I was military governor under him.


Gen. Omu
He was very energetic and hard working and sometimes he was brash. When I say brash, I mean he was in a hurry to get things happen. Unfortunately, he could not achieve much before he was assassinated. We came on board with him in August 1975 and in February 1976, he was assassinated. I didn’t work with him that close for up to one year.

The public knew the man as full of integrity and plans to change Nigeria positively. From your position what were some of those specific aspirations and strategies that his government intended to achieve?

For instance, there was this much controversial issue of the sack of civil servants, the reorganization of the civil service.

Security and protocol

It wasn’t a popular move, but he did it and it drove some fear into the system. Then another major thing was his choice of Abuja as Federal Capital Territory. Those were parts of the major landmarks of his administration.

But generally as I was saying, he was a very brash man. Sometimes he didn’t care whose ox was gored. He was a very vibrant young man but unfortunately, he couldn’t carry everyone along before he was assassinated.

Actually it was all because of a breach of security and protocol. They advised him to go with escort, but he was saying he was popular and doubted if anyone would kill him? He didn’t move into Government House at that time from his residence where he was as a military officer. He would go to work like that in Dodan Barracks. He didn’t move into Dodan Barracks as he was living in the army official residence in Ikoyi.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/how-murtalas-brashness-cost-him-his-life-gen-omu/

Lesson to Bubu; being brash doesn't pay sometimes

Imagine after committing genocide in Asaba, he was still doubting if anyone wanted to kill him when it was clearly written that whoever kills by the sword will die by the sword.

Who the gods want to kill, they first make silly.

Buhari should try that now even in Daura his hometown, I'm sure flying stones will replace SAI Baba.

Interesting.

I believe too much trust in juju power cost both murtala and aguiyi-ironsi their life.

One of the few good men to ever live in Nigeria. Keep Resting in Peace the Brave General.

Death awaits all.

Reported...
By [size=16pt]Egufe[/size] Yafugborhi.

Lord, Biafrans are right in calling Nigeria a zoo!

modelmike7:
One of the few good men to ever live in Nigeria. Keep Resting in Peace the Brave General.

You definitely knew diddlysquat about Nigeria political history especially about the man you referred to as a good man. Read and learn my friend......he was a terrible soldier with a rudderless ambition

tomakint:

You definitely knew diddlysquat about Nigeria political history especially about the man you referred to as a good man. Read and learn my friend......he was a terrible soldier with a rudderless ambition

.... Reading your signature alone told me 'all' there is to know about you, so obviously both of us can NEVER agree on ANY issue. Do have your view about him, just as Jona is your hero and the best man to ever lived, that is your opinion and kindly leave me with mine Mr Political Historian. God bless you Mr Muritala Mohammed.