Commander of the Economic Community Mission in Liberia (ECOMIL) (Aug 2003 - Oct 2003)
He was born on May 30th, 1951 at Agbani in present day Enugu State (actually he is by ethnicity/ancestry from Enugwu-Agidi in Anambra State). He is married to Selinah Ifeoma Okonkwo and blessed with three children.
He is a regular combatant, having been commissioned with Course 13 of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Deployed to the Recce (later Armoured) Corps, he underwent the Young Officers Armour Course at the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps School, then located at Ibadan. He has since undergone a variety of other training courses in Infantry and Armoured warfare as well as High Command, Staff work, and Defence Policy.
Make cheap international calls from your home, work, or cell @ MobileCaller.com.
These include the Jungle Warfare and Combat Survival Course at the School of Infantry, Jaji, T-55 Tank Company Commanders Course, USSR, Junior and Senior Division Staff Courses, Command and Staff College Jaji, Tank Technology Course, Institute of Armament Technology, Poona, India, Armour Officers Advanced Course, USA and the National War College (NWC), Abuja, Nigeria. Following his stint at the NWC, he completed an M.A. in Strategic Studies at the University of Ibadan.
Over the years, he has held numerous appointments, spanning staff, command, teaching and diplomatic arenas in what has clearly been a very balanced professional career.
COMMAND
He has held operational command at the Platoon, Company, Battalion, and Brigade-plus equivalent levels, including prior command of the ECOMOG Ground Task Force, Liberia from 1994-96. In that capacity, he led three (3) Nigerian Army battalions, one (1) battalion fron Sierra Leone, two (2) Infantry Companies from Ghana Army and one (1)Platoon from the Guinea Army. His task in that tour of duty was the protection of Monrovia.
Okonkwo has also served as the Deputy Commandant at the Armoured Corps Centre and School in Bauchi.
TEACHING
He was a Senior Instructor at the Armoured Corps Center and School, Bauchi and Directing Staff at the Command and Staff College, Jaji.
STAFF
Brigadier Okonkwo has held a number of sensitive Staff Appointments. These include Colonel (Operations), Army Headquarters, Acting Director of Operations, Army Headquarters, Acting Director of Training, Army Headquarters, Director Army Support Training Centre Headquarters at TRADOC and Principal Staff Officer (Coordination), Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
DIPLOMATIC
He served as the Nigerian Defence Adviser at the Embassy of Nigeria, Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
His list of service awards include Forces Service Staff (FSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Passed Staff College (PSC +), Fellow of War College (FWC). He won the Chief of Defence Staff Award at National War College Course 10 for writing a paper titled, "OAU/AU Mechanism for Conflict Management and Evaluation."
*This article was originally written shortly after Brigadier-General Okonkwo's appointment to ECOMIL.
By Nowa Omoigui
Will like to have a word with Dr Nowa Omoigui on his writing. There are some factual errors in his works which I give him credits nevertheless. I am working on the "1995 Coup",which was really an attempt to form an Interim Govt, of which I was part as the first accused. Will like to know what he has gathered from outside the military.
Posted by: col bello fadile | August 20, 2007 at 03:35 PM
SIR I WANT TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER THIS PUSHES ME TO GO AND BUY NDA FORM AT ZENITH BANK WHERE THEY GAVE ME A PIN NUMBER THAT I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING I CAN DO ABOUT I JUST WANT YOU HELP ME SEND THE RIGHT WEBSITE THAT WILL REGISTER ME AS ONE OF THE CANDIDATE THAT WILL SIT FOR THE EXAMINATION AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION
Posted by: Aderemi Dayo Owolabi | November 20, 2007 at 06:48 AM
Sir
Good day and God bless. Please sir how can l get the website that can enable me registar for the NDA examination and what are the requirement involved in joining the Nigerian Defence Academy institute.
Regards
Maxwell
Posted by: MAXWELL | January 08, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Make love, not war!
Posted by: SmeatteVome | January 15, 2008 at 08:07 AM
My wish and aim is to gain admission into NDA to become a military man.
Posted by: Wole | August 22, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Morning Sir,
i would like you to please fulfill my dream of becoming a cadet in Nigeria Defence Academy. i dont know anyone to make my dream a reality.
Posted by: Abdulhameed | October 28, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Nowa, Are you in touch with Col. Bello Fadile? He can certainly fill a lot of gaps concerning the 1995 affair.
Ralph if you are reading this, how soon can we expect your book or any insight into this affair?
Posted by: Obaro Ege | November 03, 2008 at 04:48 AM
Good evening sir,
I have read your fact file sir.I would like to know how many subjects i am to sit for during the Nigerian defence academy exam because i want to study engineering in academy
Posted by: Okom Azubuike | January 13, 2009 at 03:23 PM
good day sir i am a youngboy looking foward to join the nigeria army N.D.A. plz i need ur assistance am looking foward to hear from u .
yourfaithfully
omogaga edison okoye
Posted by: omogaga | January 22, 2009 at 05:41 AM
goog day sir my contact +2347064906167/07055336797
Posted by: omogaga | January 22, 2009 at 05:49 AM
sir,
im obisikena from imo state in nigeria
am interested in the nigeria force.pls let me to know the link
Posted by: obisikeuchenna | February 23, 2009 at 10:31 AM
sir,
i wrote nda exam on 21 feb,2009 i will be very glad 2 know when the result will be out pls i want know from you sir.
Posted by: obisikeuchenna | February 23, 2009 at 10:38 AM
I am a BSC microbiology holder wanting to join the DSSC. presently i'm in my stage 2 chartered institute of stockbroking, iwant to know if this proffessional qualification is relevant for me in joining the accounts corps in the Army
Posted by: Nnamdi otuonye | March 10, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Going through Samuel Enadeghe Umweni's 888 Days in Biafra, I was immediately turned off by the first sentence of the second paragraph...
In January 1966, a group of mostly Igbo young officers opposed to the ruling political party alliance... failure of January coup officers' trial, unification decree, celebration of nothern officers death et al
Why nothing was said about corruption at the Federal level and election rigging in the west or operation wetie beats me.
Mosty Igbo yes, opposed to the ruling allaince? or tired of the whole sytem that goes on even till today???
It was the first revolution that occured in Nigeria, the second being Abiola's election.
Posted by: Mmegbuaneze Nwufo | March 21, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Who is the Academic Registrar at Nigeria Defence Academy.
Posted by: ayodeji | March 22, 2009 at 02:21 PM
sir, pls. i need ur asistant to be in nda
Posted by: emmanuel | July 26, 2009 at 06:09 PM
good day, please contact me with brigadier-general c.o ugwu of national defence college abuja .
Posted by: nnamdi ugwu okoh | December 18, 2009 at 10:01 PM