Onyema Ugochukwu
Encyclopedia
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Ugochukwu served as the senior Special Adviser on Communication to Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and the first Executive Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission
Niger Delta Development Commission
The Niger Delta Development Commission is a Federal Government agency established by Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria....
(NDDC).
On February 25, 2008, an Abia State elections tribunal declared Ugochukwu the winner of the 2007 gubernatorial election and Governor-elect of Abia State.
However, on 11 February 2009 an appeal court in Port Harcourt overturned the ruling, declaring that Theodore Orji
Theodore Orji
Theodore Ahamefule Orji was elected Governor of Abia State, Nigeria on May 29, 2007. Prior to his election, Orji, a career civil servant, served as the Chief of Staff to former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.In 26 April 2011 he was reelected as Governor....
of the PPA had in fact won the election.
Early life
Onyema Ugochukwu was born on November 9, 1944 in UmuahiaUmuahia
Umuahia is the capital of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to Umuahia's south and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. Umuahia's indigenous ethnic group are the...
, Abia State
Abia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He graduated from the University of Nigeria
University of Nigeria
The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Founded in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has four campuses – Nsukka, Enugu and Ituku-Ozalla – located in Enugu State and one in Aba, Abia...
, Nsukka
Nsukka
Nsukka is a town and Local Government Area in South-East Nigeria in Enugu State. Other towns that share common border with Nsukka, such as Enugu Ezike, Orba and Obollo-Afor , Ede-Oballa, Uzo Uwani and Mkpologwu, now also claim the name Nsukka, hence they all collectively fall into the political...
with a BSc in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He is married with four children.
Biafran War
The political turmoil which followed the first military coup in 1966 escalated into a civil war when the south-east region of Nigeria seceded as the Republic of Biafra a year later. Ugochukwu enlisted in the Biafran Army and rose to the rank of captain before the war ended in 1970.Economics
Upon graduation from college, Ugochukwu was hired as an Economic Research Assistant by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)Central Bank of Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria was established by the CBN Act of 1958 and commenced operations on July 1, 1959.The major regulatory objectives of the bank as stated in the CBN act of 1958 is to: issue legal tender, maintain the external reserves of the country, promote monetary stability and a sound...
. He remained with CBN for two years before he abandoned a promising career in economics to pursue his true passion, journalism.
Journalism
Ugochukwu joined the Business Times group as an Economic Analyst and a pioneer staff of what would later become the most influential financial newspaper in NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Ugochukwu rose in the ranks to become the Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the Business Times newspaper (1977 to 1982). In 1983, Ugochukwu became the Editor in Chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the London-based West Africa Magazine, where he wrote extensively on development issues, to provide a better understanding of the African debt crisis.
He eventually returned to Nigeria to become the Editor in Chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the Daily Times of Nigeria
Daily Times of Nigeria
The Daily Times of Nigeria is a newspaper with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.At its peak, in the 1970s, it was one of the most successful locally owned businesses in Africa....
and he was subsequently appointed to its board as the Executive Director of Manpower and Development. He retired from newspaper journalism in 1994 as the Executive Director of Publications. Ugochukwu remained active as a media consultant
Media consultant
A Media Consultant is a term used to describe a marketing agent or public relations executive, hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage....
for the Dow Jones Financial News Service. Throughout his distinguished career as a journalist, Ugochukwu has met and interviewed numerous Heads of States — including then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
,
South African President
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Jamaican Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Jamaica
The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Andrew Holness was elected as the new leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party and succeeded Bruce Golding to become Jamaica's ninth Prime Minister on 23 October 2011...
P. J. Patterson
P. J. Patterson
Percival Noel James Patterson, ON, QC, PC, O.E., was the sixth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1992 to 2006. Until February 2006 he was the leader of the Jamaican People's National Party . The new PNP leader, Portia Simpson-Miller, took over as Prime Minister on 30 March 2006...
, French President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, Cuban President
President of Cuba
--209.174.31.28 18:43, 22 November 2011 The President of Cuba is the Head of state of Cuba. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, the President is the chief executive of the Council of State of Cuba...
, Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, Nigerian Presidents
President of Nigeria
The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
, Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
, Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
, and Abdusalami Abubakar — and presented papers on African economic and political development at various forums including Oxford University, England, and Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
.
Politics
President of Nigeria
The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
. Ugochukwu was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Orientation and Public Affairs. He spearheaded a "National Rebirth" campaign aimed at instilling patriotic virtues into a national psyche ravaged by years of political instability and corruption. It was on this platform that Ugochukwu launched the “The Nigerian Declaration of Human Responsibilities”, which declares in part: “This Character on Human Responsibilities… Seeks to bring freedom and responsibility into a better balance, to highlight and increase awareness of the obligation which we owe each other and to our nation” http://www.abiarebirth.com/abiarebirth_core.php?fid=bio.
Niger Delta crisis
To soothe the political unrest in the oil-rich Niger DeltaNiger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
region of southern Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo signed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
Niger Delta Development Commission
The Niger Delta Development Commission is a Federal Government agency established by Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria....
act of 2000 into law. Ugochukwu was appointed as the pioneer chairman of the newly created commission, charged with developing the nine oil producing states of the country, with excess oil revenues.
Ugochukwu helped to articulate the president's vision of sustainable development in the Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
region, and developed a policy which encouraged partnership amongst its stakeholders—Niger-delta communities and their tribal chiefs, youth militia, oil companies and their executives, the Nigerian government, and Non-Government Organizations, and international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. During Ugochukwu's tenure, the NDDC focused mainly on economic revival and prosperity, environmental rehabilitation, and the development of social and physical infrastructure http://www.nigeriafirst.org/article_6738.shtml.
Campaign for Abia Rebirth (CARE)
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
and continued to serve as the President's Special Adviser on Communications. He took an interest in state politics, and resigned from office to join the Abia State
Abia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
gubernatorial race. In 2006, the Campaign for Abia Rebirth (CARE) was launched, with a promise to rebuild the state. On December 13, 2006, Ugochukwu emerged as the People's Democratic Party's
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
candidate for the 2007 Abia State gubernatorial elections. The hotly contested race was marred by allegations of electoral malpractice, and violence, all of which culminated in the election of Ugochukwu's rival, Theodore Orji
Theodore Orji
Theodore Ahamefule Orji was elected Governor of Abia State, Nigeria on May 29, 2007. Prior to his election, Orji, a career civil servant, served as the Chief of Staff to former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.In 26 April 2011 he was reelected as Governor....
of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA)
Progressive Peoples Alliance
The Progressive Peoples Alliance is a political party in Nigeria. Notable members of the party include Orji Uzor Kalu.The party won gubernatorial elections in 2003 and 2007 in Abia State. The party also won the governorship election in 2007 in Imo State...
.
Assassination attempt
There was an attempt on Ugochukwu's life during the Abia State Gubernatorial elections on April 14, 2007. The assailants fired shots at his motorcadeMotorcade
A motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade was coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
, fatally wounding one of his State Security Service (SSS)
State Security Service
State Security Service is the primary domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is primarily responsible for the gathering of intelligence within the country and for the protection of senior government officials, particularly the President and state governors. It is one of three successor...
bodyguards, who suffered gunshot wounds through his head and hands. Ugochukwu, the People's Democratic Party (PDP)
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
candidate and frontrunner in the election, blamed the attack on his political opponents in the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA)
Progressive Peoples Alliance
The Progressive Peoples Alliance is a political party in Nigeria. Notable members of the party include Orji Uzor Kalu.The party won gubernatorial elections in 2003 and 2007 in Abia State. The party also won the governorship election in 2007 in Imo State...
. http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=04/16/2007&qrTitle=Abia%20PDP%20rejects%20polls%E2%80%99%20results%20...INEC%20cancels%20Imo%20guber%20election&qrColumn=FRONT%20PAGEhttp://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=04/20/2007&qrTitle=Emenike%20rejects%20Abia%20guber%20result&qrColumn=SOUTH%20EAST
Election Petition Tribunal
Ugochukwu sought redress at the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal. Governor Theodore Orji'sTheodore Orji
Theodore Ahamefule Orji was elected Governor of Abia State, Nigeria on May 29, 2007. Prior to his election, Orji, a career civil servant, served as the Chief of Staff to former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.In 26 April 2011 he was reelected as Governor....
election was annulled on February 25, 2008, on the grounds that he was ineligible to contest for the office. Orji and his deputy had failed to resign their respective positions in the Abia State government, 30 days prior to the election as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution
Constitution of Nigeria
The Constitution of Nigeria is the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Nigeria has had a series of constitutions. The current constitution was enacted on 29 May 1999, inaugurating the Nigerian Fourth Republic.-Colonial era :...
. The Tribunal also cited Governor Orji's failure to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, his affiliation with a secret cult.
Ugochukwu was thus declared the lawful winner of the April 2007 gubernatorial election, and Governor-elect of Abia State -- pending the outcome at the Port Harcourt Appeals Court http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL25378284.html.
However, on 11 February 2009 an appeal court in Port Harcourt overturned the ruling, declaring that Theodore Orji
Theodore Orji
Theodore Ahamefule Orji was elected Governor of Abia State, Nigeria on May 29, 2007. Prior to his election, Orji, a career civil servant, served as the Chief of Staff to former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.In 26 April 2011 he was reelected as Governor....
of the PPA had in fact won the election.
Works
- Power and Governance: The Legacy of Dr. Michael OkparaMichael OkparaMichael Iheonukara Okpara, was a political leader and Premier of Eastern Nigeria during the First Republic, from 1959 to 1966. Dr. Okpara was, at 39, the nation's youngest Premier...
(ISBN 978-027-264-X) http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/Power_and_Governance_The_Legacy_of_Dr._Michael_Okpara/978027264X/ http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=68965
Further reading
- Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)Niger Delta Development CommissionThe Niger Delta Development Commission is a Federal Government agency established by Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria....
Trivia
- Ugochukwu's native chieftaincy title is: “Aha Eji Agamba”, IgboIgbo languageIgbo , or Igbo proper, is a native language of the Igbo people, an ethnic group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria. There are approximately 20 million speakers that are mostly in Nigeria and are primarily of Igbo descent. Igbo is a national language of Nigeria. It is written in the Latin...
for "he who gives the community cause to boast" http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/bottomline/bottomline-june12-2005.htmhttp://www.newabia.com/the_candidate.html.
- Ugochukwu was mentioned as part of a Saturday Night Live (SNL)Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
skit mocking the 2000 United States presidential debate between Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and George W Bush. Bush (played by Will FerrellWill FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
), attempts to prove his competence in foreign affairsForeign AffairsForeign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
as he discusses the Nigerian government: "Jim, I got some more Nigerian names for ya. Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Special Assistant to the President on National Orientation and Public Affairs" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKCVlxbTync. - The Onyema Ugochukwu Auditorium in the University of UyoUniversity of UyoThe University of Uyo is located in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.The university was formerly known as the University of Cross River State . On October 1, 1991 the federal government of Nigeria established it as a federal university and the name was changed to the University of Uyo...
is named for Ugochukwu http://www.uniuyo.edu.ng/UNIUYO-project.htm.