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| In-Coming Governor of Imo State. Emeka Ihedioha. |
Ihedioha pulled 273,404 votes to defeat 69 other candidates which included, but not limited to Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Ikedi Ohakim, Uche Nwosu and others.
HERE IS A BRIEF ON HIM.
Born March 24th 1965, Hon.
Ihedioha attended Town School Mbutu, S.D.A Primary School Abule Oja-Yaba Lagos,
St Ephraim’s Secondary School Owerrinta and the University of Lagos, where he
obtained a BSc degree in Food Technology (1988). In the course of time, Hon.
Ihedioha also updated his educational status through Executive and leadership
programmes in world acclaimed Ivy League Institutions viz, Stanford University
USA, Harvard University USA, Oxford University Business School and London
School of Economics, UK, as well as the University of British Columbia, Canada.
The knowledge and experience acquired
from these institutions have left a permanent imprint on a man who, today, has
been found worthy in character and learning.
At different points, Rt. Hon. Ihedioha
has given unflinching demonstrable commitment to nation-building by serving as:
Press Officer to Senator Iyorchia Ayu as Senate President -Dec 1992-93; Chief
Press Secretary to Deputy Senate President, Sen. Albert Legogie- 1993; Special
Assistant to Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Utilities- 1999; Special
Assistant to Senate President Chuba Okadigbo on Media and Publicity-Nov
2000-2001; Special Assistant to Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Political
Matters-2001-2002; Honourable Member representing Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala,
Federal House of Representatives- 2003-2015; Chairman, House Committee on
Marine Transport- 2003-2007; Chairman, House Committee on Cooperation and
Integration in Africa- 2007; Chief Whip, House of Representatives- 2007-2011;
He was also Chairman, House
Sub-Committee on the Review of Police Act; Chairman, Ad-hoc Committees on
Constituency Projects -2008-2009, Celebration of Ten Years of Unhindered
Legislative Practice- 2010, Process and Procedure to obtain Local and Foreign
Loans -2010; House Legislative Agenda- 2011 and Constitution Amendment
-2011-2015;
He was elected Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker,
House of Representatives- 2011-2015 unopposed; Alternate Chairman, Governing
Council of National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS) 2011-2015; Speaker,
27th May-5th June, 2015 following the withdrawal of Speaker Rt. Hon. Aminu
Tambuwal to assume duty as Governor of Sokoto State and Imo State Gubernatorial
Flag Bearer of Peoples’ Democratic Party in 2015 elections.
As Chairman, House
Adhoc Committee on Constitution Amendment, it is worthy of note that through
his leadership and inspiration, the House of Representatives initiated and organized the
highly acclaimed and successful peoples’ public sections, which involved taking
the constitutional review proposals to the 360 Federal Constituencies in
Nigeria for voting by the people. This is perhaps the closest to a referendum
in the process to the making of a truly peoples’ constitution.
Aside from the
high-profile positions he has held over the years in the service of the Nation,
Rt. Hon. Ihedioha has offered himself as a veritable resource person to the PDP
since inception in 1998. These include; Member, PDP National Publicity
Committee 1999; Deputy Director, Obasanjo Campaign Organization 1998; Member,
PDP National Convention Committee and Chairman Screening Sub-Committee 2012;
Member, PDP National Convention Committee and Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee
2013; Member, PDP National Committee on the Review of 2015 election and
Chairman, South West and North Central Visitation Team, 2015; Member, National
Convention Committee and Chairman Constitution Review Committee 2016 and
Member, PDP National Strategy and Inter-Party Affairs Committee Nov. 2016.
It is instructive that in the course of
his legislative sojourn, Hon. Ihedioha distinguished himself as a consummate
lawmaker by sponsoring or facilitating the passage of several critical bills
and domestication of defining International conventions that have impacted
positively on the maritime sector. Worth mentioning are the following:
·
A Bill for an Act to establish a Council for the Regulation
of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria-2005
·
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
Act, 2007
·
Nigerian Ports Act (Amendment Bill) 2005
·
Merchant Shipping Bill
·
The Chartered Institute of Shipping of Nigeria Bill 2005
·
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(Ratification and Enforcement) Act 2004
·
The United Nations Convention on Carriage of Goods by Sea
(Ratification and Enforcement) Bill 2005
·
The International Convention on the Civil Liabilities for
Oil Pollution Damage (Ratification and Enforcement) Bill 2004.
·
Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund CUFF 2007 (Guidelines made in
pursuance of the Act)
As a Community Developer, Hon. Ihedioha
has positively affected the physical and social landscape of not only his
native Mbaise community and his constituency Ngor Okpala, but has also impacted
positively on infrastructural development of his home Imo State and Nigeria by
using the privilege of his political positioning to ensure that social
infrastructure and human capacity are evenly distributed.
In the area of human capacity building,
Hon. Ihedioha stands tall as he believes in equipping the leaders of tomorrow.
In this wise, he facilitated several capacity development programmes for over
2000 women and youths in different endeavours and secured Federal government
scholarship over 20 students. Most beneficiaries of these laudable training
programmes are presently economically engaged and contributing their quota to
our national development. In addition, he facilitated the employment of over
200 sons and daughters of Imo State in different Federal government ministries
and parastatals comprising University and Polytechnic graduates and School
Certificate holders.
Hon. Ihedioha is widely travelled. He
has visited over 40 countries across various continents and also led several
Nigerian legislative delegations to the ECOWAS Parliament, the International
Parliamentary Union, IPU and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA.
As a devout Christian, Hon. Ihedioha
has done enormous work to uplift the Church in his Community, his Mbaise
Diocese, Imo State and the entire country, Nigeria. In the year 2000, he was
admitted into the respected Order of the Knighthood of Saint Christopher (KSC)
of the Anglican Communion, while the Church of Nigeria decorated him in 2014
with the Primatial Distinguished Service Merit Award for Excellence in
Christian Stewardship.
In recognition of the many successful
social development programmes in various communities in Igboland, he has
gloriously been conferred with the following chieftaincy titles -Aha Eji Eje
Mba of Mbutu; Ezi Enyi of Uvuru; Ezi Enyi of Nguru; Ome Nke Ahuru Anya of
Mbaise; Oke Osisi of Umuohiagu; Odozi Obodo of Ngor Okpala; Odiuko Na Mba of
Obinugwu, Orlu; Eze Ugo , Nri; Ebube Mba of Ngwa land and Ebube Dike of Agulu.
A holder of the coveted national
honour, of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, A fellow of the Institute
of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators FICMC, A fellow of the Nigeria
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fellow, Chartered Institute of
Shipping , a Distinguished Patron of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations FCT
Chapter and Fellow of National Institute of Legislative Studies. Hon. Ihedioha
is above all a caring father of three boys and one girl,
and loving husband of Lady Ebere Ihedioha.
A MAN OF PROJECTS.
Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha , CON, is often
referred to as a man of projects. This is not far from the truth given the fact
that during his tenure in the National Assembly 2003 -2015, he attracted over 180
developmental projects. Some of the key projects are as follows:
i.
The dualization of Owerri-Elele Road (Imo-Rivers States)
ii.
Construction of Isi-Nweke-Onicha-Uboma-Imo River Umuahia
Express Way, Okigwe
iii.
Construction of Okpala-Igwerinta road (Imo-Rivers States)
iv.
Construction of bridge across Nweorie River (Nekede Owerri)
Imo State
v.
Construction of bridge across Oguchie River, Ngor Okpala
vi.
Construction of Mbaise Ring Road
vii.
Construction of 132/KVA/33 Aboh Mbaise Transmission
Substation.
viii.
Reconstruction of Owerri-Aba road
ix.
Construction of 15 MVA/33/11KVA Injection Sub-Station Ahiara
junction
x.
Construction of 15MVA/33/11KVA Injection Sub-Station New
Owerri
xi.
Canalization /Desilting and dredging of Oguta
lake/Obana/Okposha River
xii.
Ongoing construction of Oguta Jetty
xiii.
Construction of Multi-million , ultra –modern , multi-purpose
Youth Development Centre, Nguru, Aboh Mbaise
xiv.
Construction of Ahiara roundabout
xv.
Construction of DayCare Centre at Federal University of
Technology
xvi.
Construction of Heartland FM Headquarters Office Complex,
Owerri
xvii.
Construction of NTA Owerri New Office Complex
xviii.
Construction of 15MVA 33/KV Substation, Ngor Okpala
xix.
Construction of Multi-Million naira , Ultra –Modern
Multi-purpose Waste Recycling facility at Ilile, Imo State, among many other
critical projects.
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