Nigeria football firmament was badly shaken on Thursday after news
filtered in that a former Chairman of then Nigeria Football
Association, Brigadier-General Dominic Obukadata Oneya (rtd) had died.
He was 73.
General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who broke the sad
news, said he was devastated beyond words because he spoke to the
revered former military chieftain on Wednesday – a matter of hours
earlier. “We spoke on Wednesday because I conveyed to him information
that the NFF had appointed him as match commissioner for the men’s
AITEO Cup final coming up on Sunday in Benin City. He told me he would
prefer to drive down to Benin from Warri on Sunday morning. He sounded
healthy and full of life. May his soul rest in peace.”
Ebullient, avuncular, unclamorous, diligent, a lover of people and a
stickler for excellence, Dominic Obukadata Oneya was born on 26th May
1948, and served as military administrator of Kano State between
August 1996 and August 1998, when he was redeployed to Benue State in
the same role, serving there until the return of democratic rule in
May 1999.
Oneya then served as Chairman of then Nigeria Football Association
(now Nigeria Football Federation) between January 2000 and October
2002, overseeing Nigeria’s silver –medal winning outing in the 2000
Africa Cup of Nations that the country co-hosted with Ghana, a
successful Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Nigeria’s
bronze medal outing at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali and the
Super Eagles’ outing at the FIFA World Cup finals in the Far East the
same year.
“General Oneya was a gentleman to the core. Someone you can call at
any time of day or night for advice and he would always oblige. His
death is a huge loss to Nigeria Football,” Dr Sanusi added.
After leaving office as supremo of Nigeria Football, Brigadier-General
Oneya served the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in various
capacities, including as a Member of the highly influential Organizing
Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations.