One member of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet who has given a splendid account of himself is the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Patrick Francis Moro. If you doubt this, peruse through his towering and superlative achievements and you will have no choice other than to align yourself with those who nominated him for the award. Though, he was faced with few hiccups while discharging his duties. It is on record that his achievements dwarfs the hiccups . This easy going man was born on 3rd July, 1958 to the farmer family of Chief Moro Agbamu of Okwungaga, Ugbokolo District of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State. He had his early education at LGEA Special Primary School Odessassa, Ugbokolo from 1963-1969. Thereafter, he gained admission into the famous Emmanuel Secondary School, Ugbokolo from 1969 to 1974, where he obtained his West African School Certificate. His outstanding performance gave him the impetus to proceed to the prestigious Federal Government College, Kano for his Higher School Certificate Programme in 1974. After acquiring his HSC in 1976, he had a brief stint at teaching at the Methodist High School, Igumale between 1976 – 1977.
In keeping with his insatiable quest for self-development, Comrade Moro got admission into the renowned University of Lagos in 1977 and graduated with a Second Class Division in Political Science in 1980. Outside the purely academic responsibilities, he was outstandingly caring and concerned about students’ welfare and while in the University, he was elected the National Secretary General of National Association of Political Science Students, NAPSS in 1979. Comrade Moro did his NYSC Primary Assignment at the Baptist Grammar School, Igbaja, Kwara State, between 1980 and 1981. On completion of his mandatory one year national service, the lure for job did not blind him from nursing the ambition to further his education. Consequently, in 1981, he enrolled at the University of Lagos Post Graduate School, where he bagged Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in 1982. To consolidate his academic background, Comrade Abba Moro went to yet another prestigious institution in the country, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc) degree in Public Administration.
Comrade Moro started his working career as Legislative Assistant to the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation of the Second Republic National Assembly, Lagos, in 1981. His immense attachment to the academia took him to the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, in 1983, where he was employed as a lecturer. While at the Polytechnic, he held several academic and management positions. These included: Head of Department General Studies, 1991-1992; Head of Department Public Administration, 1992-1996; and Dean of the School of Business and Administrative Studies, 1994-1996. .
At the Benue State Polytechnic, he was very popular among staff and students alike. The activist in him became apparent quite early as he had barely spent a year at the Benue Polytechnic when he was elected Chairman, Benue Polytechnic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria. He occupied this strategic position between 1984-1986. Fired by the numerous achievements of those years, Comrade Moro in 1986 emerged the Deputy National President of the Polytechnic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (POSSAN). In 1989, he became the National President, POSSAN. His leadership role at the Benue State Polytechnic Senior Staff Association did not only wet his appetite for greater service but armed him adequately for political leadership in the larger society. Within this period, Comrade Moro, a very hardworking and result-oriented man with an unbending passion for youth development, devoted a larger part of his time to the training of young men and women under his
tutelage to arm them with the requisite knowledge to become useful to themselves, their communities and society. .
Comrade Abba Patrick Francis Moro who had himself acquired good education believed that every Benue indigene must be educated to the limit of his/her ability to enable him/her become a leading light among his/her contemporaries. While lecturing at the Benue State Polytechnic, he gave indigent students financial assistance to pay school fees and met other financial needs. Throughout his career as a lecturer, he discharged his duties as diligently as possible, with the fear of God as his propelling spirit and service as his guiding principle. Within the period, Comrade Abba Patrick Francis Moro was also appointed the Pioneer Chairman, Governing Board, College of Education, Oju, Benue State and he held that position between 1991-1993.                          .
In 1996, Comrade Moro shifted his gaze from the classroom to the larger society in his further quest to serve humanity. When he announced his decision to join politics in 1996, many students and his colleagues who knew the stuff he was made of wept openly. But Comrade Moro, the People’s Chairman as he was to become popularly known, had made up his mind to go into politics and to him, reneging on his decision would deny him the opportunity to contribute his quota to the upliftment of humanity. Consequently, from the cut and thrust of academia, he made a foray into the murky waters of the nation’s politics where he made legitimate efforts to exert political relevance in Benue State by repeatedly contesting for the Chairmanship of Okpokwu LGA in 1993, 1996 and 1997 without success. In 1993, the army struck to abort the political process. In 1996 and 1997, he was disqualified on the nebulous excuse of being a member of NADECO, a political coalition that
agitated for a quick return to democratic rule. His dream to impact on the society positively was fulfilled with his victory at the Local Government Council polls preceding the general elections of 1999. Thus, he was elected the Executive Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State in December, 1998, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and held this position for four consecutive times from 1999-2006, elected twice and appointed Caretaker Chairman twice. On assumption of office, he remained fanatically committed to the growth and development of the Local Government through the instrumentality of good governance.
As the Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Council, he introduced bursary and scholarship awards to Okpokwu indigenes in the belief that if education is available to all, it could enhance and deepen democracy in the society, and it is no longer news that what other Council Chairmen in Okpokwu LGA couldn’t do, Comrade Moro did and surpassed their achievements. As a thorough bred administrator, he initiated, executed and completed the following projects as his humble service to his community:
*Fifty-Nine prototype clinics
*Seventeen culverts
*Fie bridges
*Twenty-Five two classrooms blocks
*Â Â Twenty-One three classroom blocks
*Â Â 66 classroom blocks (renovated and rehabilitated)
*Â Â 66,000 specially designed exercise books distributed to primary school pupils
*Â Â Mini library at Edumoga Community Secondary School, Ojigo
*Â Â Two office blocks at Government Secondary School, Okpoga
*Â Â 72 open market stalls constructed
*Â Â 34 locked-up stores constructed
*Â Â Six three bedroom council quarters
*Â Â Local Government Council’s Secretariat renovated
*Â Â High Court Judges Quarters, renovated
* Â High Court of Justice, renovated
*Â Â 26 hand dug pump boreholes
*Â Â Okpokwu Local Government Guest House, constructed
*Â Â Okpokwu Guest House bought and renovated
*Â Â Okpokwu Stadium renovated
*Â Â Purchase a land to build a motor park in Okpoga
*Â Â Renovated and furnished the state VIP Guest House
*Â Â Constructed the Okpokwu Multi-purpose Hall
*Â Â Graded a 26 Kilometers Okpoga-Ojapo, Eke, Ojapo-Ogege Roads
*Â Â Two Hostel blocks constructed at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo
*Â Â Convocation Square constructed at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.
Based on his towering antecedents, his colleagues elected him the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Benue State Chapter, a position he occupied within intervals from 1999 – 2006. As State Chairman of ALGON, Comrade Abba Moro also left his imprints as he did in all the positions he had previously held. It is on good record that under his leadership, ALGON Benue State constructed lecture theatres at the Benue State University, Makurdi. These remain novel achievements not only in Benue State, but also beyond. Propelled by his numerous achievements and growing popularity in Benue State, Comrade Moro contested the PDP Governorship Primaries in 2007, but lost gracefully to the eventual winner and incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr. Gabriel Suswam. After conceding defeat, he joined forces with other stalwarts of the party to ensure victory for Rt. Hon. Suswam at the gubernatorial elections. He later became the Benue State
Coordinator of PDP Presidential Campaign in the April 2007 General Elections.
Beyond the confines of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Comrade Moro equally excelled in serving his fatherland as Pro- Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State from 10th February 2008 -26th August, 2009 and Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture , Makurdi, Benue State, from August 2009 to 2011 .
Based on his pedigree, Comrade Abba Moro was appointed Director General of Senator David Mark’s fourth re-election campaign as the build up to the 2011 general elections gathered momentum. As a man who never admits the existence of failure in his dictionary, and as a grassroots politician with unique, deft and unreservedly pragmatic maneuvering, he ensured the effective mobilization of the people of the Benue South Senatorial District to deliver on his mandate by ensuring the landslide electoral victory of the Senate President.
Fiercely loyal, a silent achiever and an exemplary leader, Comrade Abba Moro’s leadership and philanthropic activities have continued to attract attention and appreciation by grateful individuals and communities. Apart from several professional awards, the astute administrator has equally bagged several Merit/Community Awards. These streak of successes based on service to humanity are by no means inexhaustible.
*Â Â Best Performing Chairman of the Millennium by Iwuanyanwu National, Owerri, Imo State
*Â Â Local Government Chairman of the Year 2000 Award by ADI Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
*Â Â Best Peacemaker Award by MOO in Idoma land, Otukpo, Benue State
*Â Â Award of Excellent contribution to education and development by National PTA and Benue State Council
*Â Â NUT Honours Award Makurdi of the Best Performing LGA Chairman 2001
*Â Â Award of distinction in Industrial Development by NULGE Benue State Chapter
*Â Â Most Prudent LG Chairman of the Year 2001 Award by Commercial and Policy Development Council, Lagos, Lagos State
*Â Â Award of Achievement as Outstanding Chairman (North Central Zone) for 2001 by Centre for International Legal Cooperation and Democratic Development Lagos
*Â Â Distinguished Service Award by the Rotary International District 9120
*Â Â His Excellency, Governor George Akume at the end of the LGA working tour of 2002, declared Comrade Abba Moro as the Best Performing Chairman, for his development efforts.
*Â Â Appointed as Patron and conferment of Honourary Fellowship Award by Corporate Auditors and Accountants of Nigeria, May 2013.
*Â Â Award by Fire Disaster Prevention and Safety Organization, an NGO, in recognition of his contribution towards restructuring the Federal Fire Service and support for Fire Prevention and Safety NGOs in Nigeria, June, 2013.
Conferment of Doctor Degree Award by Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti , ABUAD , October, 2013
Comrade Abba Moro is indeed a brilliant political scientist, a scholar, writer, an articulate orator and a strict and prudent negotiator. Also beyond his professional callings, Comrade Moro equally bestrides the socio-cultural landscape like a colossus and has strings of traditional titles to flaunt for his efforts such as (1) Odejor K’ Ugbokolo, (2) Imorimo I of Ichama, (3) Iklaga K’ Okpoga, (4) Ochaguba K’ Edumoga, (5) Ogigo Mebe K’ Idoma, (6) Idagbajiji of Yala, (7) Sankiran Cham and (8) Dokajin Tangale of Gombe. These are in addition to other recognitions and awards from several social organizations, too numerous to mention.
Comrade Abba Moro is an enigma, humane, humble and indefatigable. Comrade Abba Moro is a village boy who strived to transform the village into an enviable place to live and work in.
Comrade Moro is widely travelled in the course of his meritorious service to humanity.
He was appointed Honorable Minister of Interior, Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2011, a position he occupies till date. He has remained an able captain in the forefront of the defence of Nigeria with the Ministry of Interior as the veritable platform.
Comrade Abba Moro is happily married with children.
