The Onolememens Celebrate Pearl Wedding Anniversary.
Today, 30 years ago was the day Dr (Arc) Mike Onolememen, CON, and his wife, Mrs. Bibian Omonigho Onolememen, walked down the altar of God to exchange marital vows. That was precisely 1993, and they have been living blissful ever since with children as the fruits of the wedlock.
No doubt, marriages are made in heaven. Both have proved it right by staying together for 30 years with love, respect, and commitment.
With the support of his wife, during this 30 year period, the Adolor of Uromi Kingdom has achieved a lot that wouldn’t have been possible without her support and that of the Almighty God, who has been generous to the family. It was after their marriage Chief Mike Onolememen earned his Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Public Policy & Administration (2015) from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.
He also became an alumnus of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA, where he obtained a Professional Certificate (2014) in Infrastructure in a Market Economy (Public-Private Partnerships in a Changing World).
During this blessed marriage, Chief Onolememen also became a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (FNIA), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM), and a knight of the honored Order of Saint Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria, in the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
He has been honoured by several professional bodies in Nigeria and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (FNIS), Fellow of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (FNMGS), Fellow of the Academy of Entrepreneurial Studies (FAES) and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (FNIQS).
Dr. Onolememen cannot deny the numerous blessings the marriage has brought to them. In 2000, he served as an Executive Member of the Interim Management Committee of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF).
This was an infrastructure rehabilitation and development agency of the federal government of Nigeria, and Dr. Onolememen’s role was to oversee the Directorate of Projects Management. In January 2007, he was appointed Minister of State for Defence, and served up to the end of President Obasanjo’s administration. He was principal consultant in the Nigerian architectural and engineering design firm, Gomic Consortium International Limited until early in 2011.
From July 2011 to May 2015, Dr. Michael Onolememen served as Minister of Works of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and oversaw the national roads infrastructure. He was a Member of the National Economic Management Team, from 2011 to 2015. From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Onolememen served as the Chairman, Project Steering Committee of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Highway project (Lagos-Abidjan-Dakar Corridor) constituted by the Presidents and Heads of Government of West African Countries. In September 2014, Dr. Michael Onolememen was honoured with one of Nigeria’s highest National Award, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in appreciation of his meritorious services to the nation.
In 2016, he was conferred with the prestigious Adolor of Uromi kingdom with his wife, Mrs Bibian Onolememen. The first Adolor of Uromi was late Chief Anthony Enahoro of blessed memory.
Standing by each other for 30 years calls for a celebration. This “pearl jubilee” is a milestone for any married couple who stood firm with each other through thick and thin. Congratulations on reaching a milestone built with years of love and trust! Cheers to an amazing future together!
Elempe Dele wrote from Abuja.