By Abdul Mohammed Lawal
In the leadership space where many are conditioned to the culture of “business as usual,” the presence of individuals who insists on doing things differently is often seen not as refreshing, but as disruptive. Accountability, diligence, and due process are ideals often preached but rarely practised.
So, when someone rises within that space and chooses to uphold what is right for the masses, for the system, and for the spirit of governance, they become a threat. If not politically protected, they are broken. But if the centre backs them fully, the fight shifts to another tactic: propaganda. This is the story of a silent reformer, a woman many still struggle to understand simply because she refuses to play by the old rules, Hajiya Habiba Tijjani Onumoko, Ph.D., the current Accountant General of Kogi State.
When the New Direction Government of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, CON, commenced in 2016, Hajiya Habiba was serving at the Okene Local Government Area. She was neither loud nor connected to the power blocs, but she was diligent; sometimes too diligent for the comfort of a few who had grown in the system and had become used to compromises. At a time when local councils across Kogi State needed to put an end to financial mismanagement and internal collusion, she took a front-row seat.
This made her a target. In fact, she came close to losing her job no fewer than six times. But what her detractors didn’t realise was that her quiet consistency had caught the attention of higher authorities. Every time her reports reached the corridors of power in Lokoja, the same conclusion was drawn: here was one of the very few doing the right thing amidst widespread compromise.
And so, instead of being shown the exit, she was elevated. Her services were transferred from the local government level to the state level.
In governance, politicians and technocrats often coexist uneasily. While politicians seek loyalty, negotiation, and optics, technocrats prioritise structure, systems, and service delivery. Hajiya Habiba’s rising profile has become uncomfortable for many within the political space, especially those who believe access to public funds and influence should flow through patronage networks.
She represents a deviation from that tradition. And it’s even more unsettling for them because she’s a woman; determined, intelligent, and unbothered by power games. She’s not seeking office. She’s not building political capital. She’s simply focused on doing her job. But in a space where visibility often defines credibility, her reluctance to engage the media has made it easy for her adversaries to control the narrative.
The question the public must begin to ask is: if a sitting governor chooses to trust a technocrat over political allies, shouldn’t that provoke curiosity, not suspicion? And if this technocrat continues to deliver, shouldn't the conversation shift from “Why her?” to “Why not more like her?”
Then, like the truth rarely spoken aloud, we must understand that within every administration, internal sabotage often poses a greater threat than external opposition. The battles are usually selfish; from individuals who want access, from interests that want their share, and from power blocs that want influence. In such a space, those perceived to be “too close” to the principal become easy targets.
Hajiya Habiba has borne the brunt of this internal war. The attacks haven’t always come from outside the system; they come from individuals who feel threatened by her proximity to the Governor, her command of facts, and her refusal to be manipulated.
What many fail to understand is that in every administration, there are very few truly loyal people around a leader. Most act loyal only as long as their personal interests are met. But technocrats like Hajiya Habiba, who anchor their loyalty on principle and performance, are indispensable. They provide stability. They protect the administration from embarrassment. They do the dirty work; silently.
That is why, despite all the attempts to discredit her, the Governor has remained consistent in his support, because he knows that true loyalty isn’t about noise; it’s about results.
Have you ever wondered that while some thrive in the spotlight, curating narratives and crafting their image with precision, Hajiya Habiba Tijjani Onumoko, Ph.D., chose a different route, away from cameras and applause? Ironically, her silence became her vulnerability.
She is perhaps the only high-profile appointee in the current Kogi State administration without a media aide, an official photographer, or a deliberate image strategy. For her, the job has always been about results, not recognition. But in a political environment where perception can be weaponised, this quiet disposition has left her at the mercy of detractors eager to fill the silence with manufactured stories.
Every assignment she undertakes is reframed as a personal attack. Every act of diligence is twisted into arrogance. And every honest mistake, if any, is exaggerated into a scandal. The same people who fight her behind closed doors step out to act as victims. But despite the noise, her influence continues to grow, maybe not through billboards or social media trends, but through real impact.
She is now regarded by many as one of the strongest grassroots mobilisers in the Kogi State government, even though she is not a politician. Her ability to manage people, stabilise finances, and instil discipline across layers of government has earned her quiet loyalty from staff, and continued trust from her principal. That kind of influence threatens the old guards, and so the propaganda won’t stop.
Her principal's confidence in her didn’t come through lobbying. It was earned. And despite campaigns of calumny, internal sabotage, and carefully orchestrated efforts to undermine her authority, the centre has never wavered. Why? Because when it truly matters, she proves her worth.
In the end, results speak louder than rumours. Always remember: in governance, true service is never loud. It is simply consistent. And in systems crying out for reform, such consistency is revolutionary.
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