FG approves Eriomala, Obiora as heads of NICO, Museums Commission

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has approved the appointment of Mr. Louis Okpako Eriomala as the Ag Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) effect from November 30, 2017. His appointment on acting basis, via a letter dated November 30, 2017 and signed by the Director of Human Resources, Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Adebola O. Kayode, is pending the appointment of a substantive executive secretary by President Mohammadu Buhari. Similarly, the minister endorsed the appointment of Mr. Onuegbu E. Obiora as Ag Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, taking over from Usman Yusuf Abdallah, who completed his two terms of four years on October 27. Both Abdallah and former Executive Secretary, NICO, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma, were appointed in 2009. Until their appointments, both Eriomala and Obiora were the most senior directors in their respective agencies. Eriomala, who hails from Opuraja in Delta State, holds a BSc Business Administration and MSc Psychology from the University of Lagos. He worked as a management consultant before joining NICO in November 1996 as Assistant Chief Cultural Officer (Corporate Affairs). He was appointed pioneer Liaison Officer, Lagos office in 2002, and later deployed to Abuja in 2004 as the Ag Head, Research and Documentation. In April 2009, when NICO South-West Zonal office was opened in Akure, Ondo State, Eriomala was posted there as the pioneer zonal coordinator, where he designed programmes and activities that impacted the agency and its staff immensely. In February 2012, Eriomala was transferred back to NICO head office in Abuja as Director, Research and Documentation, but was sent back to the Lagos Liaison Office as a director in April 2013. His glaring leadership qualities won him nomination in 2014 as Member of Global Public Diplomatic Network (GPDNet) – an   international body of public/cultural diplomacy practicing institutions from medium power countries – to promote peace and understanding among member-nations. Until his appointment as the NICO Ag Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Eriomala was the Director, NICO Liaison Office, Lagos. On his part, Obiora hails from Adazi-enu in Anaocha local council of Anambra State. He holds a BSc in Political and Administrative Studies from the University of Maiduguri. He also obtained his LL. B in 1992/93 from University of Lagos, and was called to the Bar in 1995. He is a Certified Advanced Personal and Human Resources manager and member, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). He had a wide range of working experience in the private sector before joining NCMM in 1983. Obiora rose to the position of Director, Administration and Supplies in November 2013, a position he held until his appointment as the Ag Director-General, National Commission For Museums and Monuments, on November 28,” 2017.