Gamaliel Onosode, technocrat and administrator, dies at 82

Foremost technocrat and administrator, Gamaliel Onosode, has died, the family said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Onosode was 82.

‎Born Gamaliel Oforitsenere Onosode on 22nd May, 1933, in Sapele, Delta State, Mr. Onosode attended Government College, Ughelli, then known as Government Middle School, in 1947.

Five years later, he won multiple scholarships to study at the University of Ibadan (then known as University College Ibadan) where he graduated with a‎ Bachelors Degree in Classics in 1957.

‎Thereafter, he made a successful switch into the world of banking and business management.

‎His career began as a management trainee at the Commonwealth Development Corporation before he was appointed, in 1962, the General Manager of the Nigeria Housing Development Society (now Federal Mortgage Bank). He, however, resigned from that position after his ambitious plan to incorporate savings services into the mortgage institution was turned down.

‎Between 1973 and 1979, Mr. Onosode served as Chairman and Chief Executive of NAL Bank Plc.

He also served as Chairman of various companies and organizations including Dunlop Nigeria Plc from 1984 to 2006; Cadbury Nigeria Plc from 1977 to 1993; Commerce bank from 1989 to 1994; Nigerian Stock Exchange Investment Protection Fund from 1995 to 2000.

He was a Fellow of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank as well as the Nigerian Institute of Management where he was President from 1979 to 1982.

A native of Ekigbo in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State‎, Mr. Onosode was founder of Good News Baptist Church, a church which he began in his sitting room in 1984.

He was the inaugural Chairman of the‎ Global Missions Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, in addition to serving as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomosho.

Once he was was asked why he kept quitting from his official positions and he responded:

“It is a question of integrity. Some people say I am a coward, maybe I am. But I prefer to be that kind of coward. My view is that since I never asked for any position, the position doesn’t bring anything to me.

“On the contrary, I try to take something into the position. So on the basis of that, I couldn’t possibly have any problem quitting a position.”