A former Nigerian ambassador, Prof. Michael Olusegun Ononaiye, has died.

He was 89.

Ononaiye died on Wednesday, according to a statement by his family.

He was a unique personality and brilliant diplomat.

During his period at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, he was fondly referred to as M. O. Ononaiye, with an elongation of “e” at the end of his surname; he was well known as a hardworking and erudite diplomat, a stickler for rules and regulations; someone who could not and would not stand those he used to describe as “Scallywags and Yoyos and two left-handers”.

Ononaiye had the gift of the gab. At negotiations, his voice, quiet at the outset, usually rose to a boom, depending on the issues during negotiations. The late diplomat was also very humorous. He was a brilliant writer, a wordsmith. His image was not complete without his Cuban cigar, which he chewed more often than smoke, and used as a tool of intimidation at diplomatic negotiations. Eventually, he ditched the habit as he aged gracefully.

He served at home and abroad with distinction.

Early in his career, he served in Washington DC, with the late Ambassador JTF Iyalla who was then Nigerian Ambassador to Washington in the early 1970s, just after the end of the Civil War.

A few years ago, the U.S. Department declassified a document on the history of U.S. relations with Nigeria. The name of Ambassador Ononaiye featured prominently as the First Secretary who accompanied former Ambassador JTF Iyala to the meeting at the U.S. Department of State. That meeting discussed details of economic assistance that would be provided for Nigeria to support the country’s post-civil war rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

Ambassador Ononaiye was also on record as one of those who were involved in discussions with the then Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for the management and use of funds from the World Bank and multilateral development agencies as a follow-up to that meeting.

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As DPR at the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, he left his mark. At that strategic location, which was and still remains Nigeria’s window to the world, Ambassador Ononaiye was bold and displayed the virtues of a visionary. He took the decision to establish the Nigerian Trust for the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). It was a $1-million trust fund. The money was sent directly from the Presidency, then located at Dodan Barracks at Obalende, Lagos, to the Permanent Mission with indications that it should be sent to UNITAR, which was then in debt to the tune of $6 million. UNITAR ran into debt due to mismanagement of funds by its then Cameroonian Executive Director. UNITAR was an acronym for the UN Institute for Training and Research, but became the butt of jokes in UN Circuit as “UN Institute for Travels and Recreation!

Ambassador Ononaiye, as DPR, took the bold decision to use the money to establish the Nigerian UNITAR Trust Fund to be managed by the Permanent Mission. He was of the view that Nigeria’s $1 million should not be allowed to go down the drain by donating it to a UN outfit that was owing $6 million. In his speech at the pledging conference for UN agencies, he announced that the $1 million be called the Nigerian UNITAR Trust, which would be managed by the Nigerian Mission, while its annual proceeds would be used to support UNITAR.

This trust fund, established almost 20 years ago and managed by the Permanent Mission in New York, must have grown substantially today.

In establishing that trust fund, he was of the view that civil servants should be courageous to do the right thing when politicians, deliberately or inadvertently, give wrong instructions.

Ambassador Ononaiye was also the Representative of Nigeria on the Council for Namibia when the UN was involved in the talks to free Namibia. He clearly always conveyed Nigeria’s commitment to liberation and freedom of Namibia, which eventually came in 1990.

On his return to Nigeria after his tenure as DPR, he was posted to the Bilateral ECONOMIC Cooperation Division.

He handled the Joint Commission sessions, which were the framework for the management of economic relations and ties between Nigeria and several countries.

Despite his tough outlook, he remained humane. In retirement, when his messenger, Mr. Nojeem Oseni, died, he flew in from Abuja to attend his seventh-day fidau prayers and mobilised those of us who worked with him to raise funds to the tune of N600,000 to support the family of the late Nojeem Oseni.

At the Meeting Room on the 18th floor of the Nigeria House on 828 2nd Avenue at Kudirat Corner in New York, there is a gallery of photos of former Nigerian Heads of State; Ministers of Foreign Affairs; Permanent Representatives; and Deputy Permanent Representatives; the picture of Ambassador Michael Olusegun Ononaiye, former DPR, circa 1984-1989, is conspicuously missing. Most likely, this is an inadvertent omission. His picture certainly deserves to be there. (The Nation)