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Tag: Ogiemwonyi

  • Ogiemwonyi: A bastion of hope

    A few weeks ago, Engr. Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi marks his birth solitarily in Abuja amidst family, friends and admirers. It was the occasion of his sixty six birthday anniversary. On that day, March 21st, no air was woven around his eminence on the occasion; neither was there associated pumps and panoply, befitting of an all-round leader and achiever who has charted genuine paths for durable development.

    The former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC; the former Minister of State for Works, Federal Ministry of Works and a front line gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains a bastion of hope.

    He proudly holds membership and fellowship of several professional bodies, including being a Member, Society of Petroleum Engineers, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and former President, Nigeria Gas Association, is reputed to have equally chaired several boards and committees while in service, all attesting to his enticing capacity and capability to perform at top level administrative and managerial positions.

    It is on record that apart from chairing the N-Gas board, Hyson/Calson JV and directing NETCODIETSMANN, Ogiemwonyi equally was member, NNPC Corporate Board; member, Presidential Committee on Independent Power Project, IPP development for Niger – Delta; member, Presidential Committee on accelerated Expansion of Electricity Infrastructure; member, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN; Former Council Member, Petroleum Training Institute, Warri; and former member Nigermed.

    Recently, the ingenuity and visionary leadership of Ogiemwonyi was made manifest at the University of Benin 42nd Founder’s Day Lecture, on November 23rd, 2016. The lecture titled: “Hard Times for These Times: The Think Factory Guide to Action”, brought the best out the celebrated engineer. In that lecture, Ogiemwonyi called on the government to allow to local refineries in the oil communities to participate in the modular refineries to be established.

    In his words: “Government should have the will power to do a complete deregulation in the downstream. Once we do that, the issue of fraud and corruption in the downstream could be eliminated. I also think that we should start having local refineries, just as it was done in Niger Republic; Modular refineries.”

    He suggested that government should be curious to know how they are successfully refining even in makeshift plants and see how to improve on it to make it healthier and more efficient. Currently, the operations are unregulated and thus anything goes, allowing a scenario where all characters are welcomed to play a part. Government should get them together and organise them may be into co-operatives or structured production clusters and regulate their activities, their sources of crude, the refining process, the pollution of the environment and who they sell to.

    In a dramatic turn a few weeks ago, the federal government through the Acting President then, Prof Yemi Osinbajo on his visit to the Niger Delta advocated Ogiemwonyi’s position on the illegal refineries when he said, “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources in collaboration with oil companies is working on a forty point agenda initiative for the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. In particular, one of those is working with illegal refineries in the oil producing communities to participate in the modular refineries that would be established.”

    Ogiemwonyi’s position on the illegal refineries is clear as an astute petroleum expert of international repute foe several decades. He is of the opinion that the federal government move will generate income for the nation through sales and taxes while curbing crude oil theft and bunkering activities in the region as well as providing employment for the people who will be allowed to open and operate the modular refineries. Youth restiveness will be put in check with the people being included in the control of their collective wealth and resources.

    He searches for solutions that transcend the usual adversarial approaches and address the causal level of problems of Niger Delta and Nigeria at large without selfishness. A visionary leader finds a higher synthesis of the best of both sides of the crises and address the systemic root causes of problems in order to create real breakthroughs for the economic woes of her/his. That’s Engr. Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi for you! He deserves 66 cheers from all of us!!

     

    • Ikhide writes from Lagos.
  • Ogiemwonyi: Niger Delta key to getting Nigeria out of recession

    Ogiemwonyi: Niger Delta key to getting Nigeria out of recession

    Chris Ogiemwonyi, an engineer, ex-Minister of State for Works, former Group Executive Director at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Edo State, believes peace in the Niger Delta and other factors will help get Nigeria out of recession. He also shares his thoughts on the Niger Delta Avengers, 13 per cent derivation, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and others. WALE AJETUNMOBI was at the session.

    Getting out of recession

    ur economy is definitely not at its best. We are experiencing hard times, recession in other words. The naira is sliding downwards against the dollar and the British pounds. For us to proffer solutions we should identify the causes. Among the factors causing recessions today are:

    Epileptic power supply, poor leadership (inability of the previous administration to save),oil price drop, Nigeria’s over-dependence on foreign products, corruption, mono–economy ( over dependency on oil and gas), the activities of militants and pipeline vandals, unstable monetary policies, unemployment, etc.

    For us to get out of recession we must address and improve the power sector. I recall in an NNPC/NIPP/IOC meeting held in February 2009 the target was to achieve 5000 megawatts in Dec 2009, then we were producing about 3200 megawatts.

    Today, we have major gas pipelines, yet gas does not reach the various thermal plants due to pipeline vandalism. Most industries today are running on diesel which is expensive, so we must have a holistic approach in solving these problems.

    Another solution to solve the economic problem will be seeking for peace in the Niger Delta. There must be relative peace in Niger Delta. I recall in February 2006, they blew the gas pipeline coming from Escravos with 180 mmscf/d we resolved it through dialogue. Breaking of pipelines didn’t just start today, they did it some years ago, and they have been doing it, but we were able to use peace to solve them. So, the first solution to solving the problems of the Niger Delta Region is peace. What we are having today is double pains, low oil price and low oil production, with these two factors, there is no way we can meet the 2017 budget estimate.

     

    Peace in the Niger Delta and the Avengers

     

    The Federal Government is willing to meet their demands; I spoke on this issue recently during a lecture I delivered at the University of Benin on the 42nd Founders Day lecture. In looking for peace, the Federal Government must involve the governors of the oil producing areas. They should be the arrowheads. The Federal Government should review their demands and come up with a realistic budget for implementation. The Federal Government should involve them in its implementation; in order words project implementation teams should be constituted. This process will ensure openness, transparency and give the representatives of the Niger Delta Region a sense of belonging.

    13% derivation and lack of development in the region

    We must commend the Federal Government for setting up as well as funding the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and others relevant agencies in the Niger Delta, including the 13% derivation. We need proper synergy between the Niger delta Governments and NDDC. 13% derivation to the governors should not just be a stand-alone. The need has come for integration of the various monies coming into the Niger Delta as well as transparency in budget implementation. The NDDC will no longer be a conduit for easy money. What is lacking in Nigeria in general is M & E – Monitoring and Evaluation. A Project Monitoring Office should be set up for proper coordination of major projects of federal government.  Appointing a Special Adviser on Project Monitoring is therefore an imperative.

     

    The APC and its promises

     

    Where we are today is a combination of various factors. Yes, you can make promises but you have to back these promises with resources (money). Globally, all oil-producing nations are facing shortage of funds. You could have made your projections early in 2015 when the price of oil was N110/N118, and based on these costs barrel per day we expect huge revenue but unfortunately, by early 2016 oil price slumped to a little over $30 per barrel. So, we must admit that shortage of fund is a major factor to where we are today. Apart from funds, another factor is corruption. Corruption has equally not helped this current government. The previous government was corrupt and today the element of corruption is still in government.

    Today we are catching thieves without looking at the fundamentals. It is not just to catch the thieves; we must make sure we unearth it from its tap root. We cannot be repairing the house from the roof if the foundation is bad, we must go back to the foundation to find out what is causing corruption in Nigeria. Why are people so corrupt? This cuts across all cadres, from the drivers, cleaners etc. There is so much corruption. I think another factor to it is the issue of minimum wage. You cannot pay somebody today in Nigeria N18,000 and you expect that man not to steal; that cannot buy a bag of rice; that cannot buy garri and where you have a driver with four, five, six kids, they have to go to college. So, we must be realistic to the problem in Nigeria today. We must all sit down to think how to solve this problem. I am saying that the money they are paying some big men are too high. There is the need to pay people who are at the bottoms something realistic and reduce those of the big men so that there will be something tremendously significant for the poor man in terms of earning while the rich men should earn less; that is my type and I prefer it. In most cases, corruption is not because people want to be corrupt but because some cannot even feed, they can’t pay for the house where they live.

     

    Thinking out of the box

     

    The mono-economy we have is not sustainable, and that is the truth; we cannot live on just oil and gas. We are now talking of diversification to other areas – solid minerals, agriculture etc. On this note, we must commend government, they are looking into solid minerals, agriculture, tourist industries. Government should think outside the box. Government alone cannot use their budgets to finance mega projects. Therefore, I am thinking Government should create enabling environment and look for new models to do mega projects through PPP. That is what happening in many developed countries. For instance, the Ajaokuta Steel Company, that is a humongous project that is lying waste at Ajaokuta, and every nation that wants to grow in terms of development must look into iron and steel Industry. We must create the enabling environment, good fiscial regime that will attract investors to bring in their money and invest and let government participate, not ownership. I believe when we give the signals that we want to be an industrial hub as a nation, showcasing the different resources we have, all we will be asking for is to have good partners and guarantee them. We should let them know there will be sanctity of agreements. Let it be a win-win situation.

     

    Buhari’s security strides

     

    Our security forces have been best in their various jobs; I must commend Mr. President. I like to judge situations from where they were before. I don’t judge from where they are today, that is the truth. If we judge people by what is just on ground, we will be unfair to them. Fighting the insurgency, we must take it back to where it was at the beginning, when Mr. President came on board to where we are now after about 20 months. So, the fact that Mr. President came and the insurgency that was at its peak and they commence deploying resources; human, materials and money, hardware, drones, I think we must commend him for that, and then not just because he brought money, I must equally commend the security agencies, Armed Forces, especially General Buratai, we commend him and other generals going to the war front. I celebrate General Buratai for leading the same incapacitated armed forces that Boko Haram was chasing under the previous administration and now we are the chaser. We are chasing Boko Haram now, so we must commend the men of the armed force for job well done, and then Mr. President and urge him to use the same tactics in fighting insurgency to making peace in the Niger Delta.

     

    Oil pricing

     

    There are two issues here, importation of products and local production of products. First the issue of product importation .The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) did a template on this I remember as GED in NNPC, my position on this was we should look at the various components that constitute the landing price. I felt there were lots of redundancies between NNPC and NPA. It is when we remove these areas of redundancies, including high demurrage, before we can achieve actual landing cost.

    Generally, we should also look for ways to eliminate corruption in this sector. Secondly, why are we not able to refine locally. I think we should shift our emphasis to how we can start refining in Nigeria. It is a shame that we are still talking of product importation after several years of oil production in Nigeria. Why are we still importing products? I know somebody will tell me oh, it takes some minimum of two years, three years, four years to have a refinery; what prevents us from having modular refineries that at least can be operational under two years? This is the best time for NNPC to quickly think of supporting local refineries not just one, four, five, six local refineries in Nigeria. Is it not a shame to us that we are hearing now that Nigeria wants to start importing products from Niger Republic? It is a shame. Again, it’s policy somersault, we don’t have long term plans, we have been inconsistent; we were always planning for two years. The minister will plan for just two years and once that man leaves, the next man comes with a different plan. For example, Algerians plan for ten years. Whether there is a new minister or new chief executive or a new GMD, the rolling plan remains the rolling plan but it is only here in Nigeria that once we change the CEO, the next man coming will bring his own agenda, that is what they call the policy somersault; that is what is causing our woes. DPR gave approval to about sixteen refineries, only Dangote is on it now and we pray he succeeds.

  • Oyegun, Odubu, Osunbor, Ogiemwonyi et al

    Oyegun, Odubu, Osunbor, Ogiemwonyi et al

    I owe a duty to them – the above named icons – among others, who shamed our political detractors – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Edo State Chapter, that we are not as divided as they seem – truth and unity.

    Those soothing words that flowed freely from the National Chairman of the ruling party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and healed all broken hearts resulting from the primary elections that sprang Mr. Godwin Obaseki up as the party’s standard-bearer for the Edo 2016 governorship election is worth the while – Balm.

    Oyegun knew the PDP is petrified but to slay the ‘dragon’ completely, he called on all aspirants, party leaders, stakeholders and teeming members of “our great Party to close ranks and unite as a strong political fighting force behind the candidature of Mr. Godwin Obaseki for a landslide victory at the forthcoming Edo State governorship election”.

    “The request by the aspirants”, according to Oyegun, was that the Edo State APC governorship election primaries should be transparent, free, fair and credible. This, the Party achieved creditably during the primaries. Going forward, we should avoid triumphalist actions and avoid creating new stresses within the party. We should all seek to reunify the Party to face the September 10, 2016, governorship election – this is leadership.

    As if that was all, one man who displayed the calm courage borne of faith in the party that I pray every day to have, if I ever found myself in trying times is Dr. Pius Odubu – the Deputy Governor in the State of Edo. I recommend that all persons of goodwill, regardless of religion and party lining, will have him as a book and learn from his grace – it’s not easy – his action, for the opposition PDP is thumb-biting.

    For example, hear this quotable quote, “Yesterday belongs to the past, and we have decided to put the past behind us. Today is another day” – Isn’t this food for thought from a great mind? In other climes, this quotation is hurriedly documented, perhaps, tweeted across the globe – gone viral – as the philosophy of an African great mind – not around here!

    He wouldn’t stop there – not until he bounded himself and his die-hard followers to the Godwin Obaseki project by reaffirming his commitment to this party (APC) and to its victory at all elections and this was in the presence of “my father here and everybody here present”. Only a devout Christian, who knows that portion of the Holy writ will go to this length – “in the presence of two or three witnesses, every words shall be established” – sorry, I forgot he is also a lawyer!

    Bluntly and helpfully committed to the success of the election – hear Odubu, “We will work even harder than we have ever worked, because anybody who has occupied any office like a proud father will want to leave a successor behind. We want to leave with our party (APC) remaining in government.” Isn’t this blind hatred against the PDP exhibited by the Okakuo of the Universe?

    But what remaineth of me to say now, than to agree, “It’s over for PDP”! However, there is an icing on the cake – wait. Listen to this – and guess who? Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi just entered. You know him?

    He took his own to the world – the marketplace – a man assembled journalists, in the form of a World Press Conference, with his supporters at his campaign office – without an empty seat said, “as a man who believes in the unity of the party, he has told his supporters that they should not leave the party because it was a house they jointly built”.

    He pledged himself, after taking a short holidays, to join the Godwin Obaseki Campaign team because, his vision for Edo State is that “we should take advantage to be in alignment with the party with the government at the centre, we should, therefore, remain to have the benefit of the party at the centre and the party at the state level.” Isn’t this the spirit?

    Thank you, “most-accomplished-Engineer”, for being a party man. I know APC will make it because of experience men like the former Minister – including all the party aspirants – Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, Comrade Peter Esele, Chief Blessing Aigbomhere, Prof. Amadasun Ebegue, Mr. Austin Emuan among others who have, out of great commitment shown to the world, the meaning of perseverance, character, hope and unity.

    Added, you would notice, that when the fire raged-on, these men never flinched and did not react recklessly – they showed incredible restraint because it wasn’t about Comrade Adams Oshiomhole or Mr. Godwin Obaseki but, it was about the party.

    Now, the party can say, that aftermath of the primaries and as we go into the campaigns and elections, we’ve seen Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Dr. Pius Odubu, Godwin Obaseki, Anselm Ojesua, the state party executives, the aspirants – with different backgrounds, working not just to restore order and support to strengthen the party, but working together to unify a party with strength and grace and wisdom.

    These men, the APC-led State government – this is the party I know. And for Oshiomhole who re-called all those whose appointments were terminated for one reason or the other, I commend your spirit of leadership. And today, I see in the APC audience, men who have a mind of their own and who protested on behalf of their belief and yet, accommodated by a Governor who doubles as a Comrade with a big-heart. In this party therefore, I see impossibility’s possibility.

    The task ahead, among others, is that we must keep the opposition in continual check and at all costs and do so without causing any political blow-back or inconvenience to ourselves; don’t make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind and then, we feign surprise when periodically the tension boils over.

    The opposition knows the truth – about the APC-led government’s achievements – they’ve been true for a long time. We know it just as the PDP. The electorates, you know it. We know what Oshiomhole met on ground in 2007 and what it is today but some pretend as if there’s no context – these things we know to be true.

    And if we cannot even talk about these things, if we cannot talk honestly and openly, not just in the comfort of our own circles, with those who have the “Simple Agenda” and bring a different perspective because they are in the dark-opposition, then we will never break this dangerous circle of under-development they are wont to plunge us.

    Without taking too much of your time – let me say once more, that the actions of the above icons have left the PDP and its chieftains in a zombie-like haze, the one I normally describe as ‘political anxiety disorder’ – paranoia, and hallucinations, fainting and overtime – political damage.

  • Ogiemwonyi to supporters: let’s ensure victory for APC

    Ogiemwonyi to supporters: let’s ensure victory for APC

    Former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chris Ogiemwonyi has urged his supporters and aggrieved party delegates loyal to him to work for the victory of the party in the September 10 governorship election.

    Ogiemwonyi, who got 137 votes at the primary, told his supporters that he would join Godwin Obaseki campaign team when he returns from his medical trip abroad.

    He spoke yesterday at a meeting with his supporters in Benin City, the Edo State capital, where he pleaded with them to work for the success of the APC.

    The former Minister of State for Works said Edo State must remain with the party at the centre and must not be allowed to fall in the hands of the opposition.

    Ogiemwonyi told his supporters to see President Mohammadu Buhari as their role model and their reason for remaining in the APC.

    He said: “I do not believe in decamping. Let us forgive and move forward. Remove every bitterness from the primary. Politics is sacrifice; we are here to plead with those who are hurting.

    “Why do we want to go back to Egypt? Let us see a brighter future. All hope is not lost. I will join the Obaseki campaign when I return from my medical trip abroad by August.

    “I stand for the unity of the party. No matter how hurt they are, it is just a transition. Edo State should not be in a state where it is not in tune with the centre. We should be in alignment with the government at the centre.”

    On what he would tell  Obaseki, Ogiemwonyi said: “Obaseki has come to my house. I told him I have no problem with him. But, I have problem with his boss. The governor behaves as if he was an aspirant, whereas he should be an umpire. I will meet the governor on the street.”

  • Ogiemwonyi rejects panel report

    Former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chris Ogiemwonyi has expressed reservations over the endorsement of Godwin Obaseki as the candidate by the National Working Committee of the party.

    Ogiemwonyi and Kenneth Imasuagbon had petitioned the NWC, explaining why they rejected the outcome of the APC primary.

    Speaking with our reporter, Ogiemwonyi, said he was not sure whether the APC Appeal Panel looked into issues raised in the petition.

    Ogiemwonyi said that he expected the panel to write him on the outcome of the investigation, instead of hearing it on the news.

    He said: “I wished you saw my petition. Some key issues were raised like ballot papers being tampered with and non-delegates being allowed to vote.

    “I don’t think they looked at the issues. I expect them to write me a letter because I made a presentation before the committee.”

    Ogiemwonyi also faulted the reconciliation committee set-up by the state leadership of the APC headed by Prince Malik Afegbua.

    He said persons of integrity and those respected within the party should have been picked.

    Imasuagbon said: “The party is supreme and it has spoken”.

    He kept mute on whether he would join in Obaseki campaign team.

  • Edo 2016: Ogiemwonyi is Oshiomhole’s worthy successor

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole has presented a template; performance is that template. Whoever must aspire to step into the shoes of the comrade governor, therefore, must show evidence of performance.

    Having come into governance from the private sector, Governor Oshiomhole has employed the must-to-drive and the managerial efficiency of the sector to raise the bar of development in the state. Of course, this immediately narrows down the choice of who should succeed him. That person must be a professional who evidently proved his mettle in his profession.

    Considering the achievements of Governor Oshiomhole in the past seven years, this means a lot, for whoever succeeds him. Oshiomhole is perceived in the public as an achiever and indeed a pacesetter in governance in this dispensation. His popularity rating is very high. Whoever takes over from him must, therefore, be seen in the same light, an achiever.

    The Edo and indeed the Nigerian populace would want to know. So we can see, that though Edo is our immediate constituency, there is also a larger constituency of curious Nigerians from all walks of life who have taken to the Oshiomhole administration and would want to know who the party decides to bring out and why.

    Who is, therefore, this new person and what are the qualities that he will be brining into office to consolidate on Oshiomhole’s laudable achievements and sustain his gains.

    This is why the intention of Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi to contest the Edo State governorship this year is most welcome and should be celebrated. Engr. Ogiemwonyi, a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, wears a peerless and unassailable reputation.

    In the course of his professional and public service engagements, he is exemplary. He is credited with numerous philanthropic gestures. It is also remarkable that he is a product of the Harvard Business School.

    Engr. Ogiemwonyi belongs to many professional bodies, including the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and former President of the Nigeria Gas Association. He is a recipient of the Justice of Peace (JP) by Edo State Government and the Kwame Nkurumah Leadership Award. He is also patron to several bodies, including the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) and the Association of Community Newspapers Publishers of Nigeria (ACNPN), among numerous others.

    Now these are virtues that would greatly advance and deepen the nation’s democracy. To be sure, it is not enough to boast of high sounding institutions with democratic tokens. You need men and women of integrity and passion to drive these institutions.

    Sometime ago, the former U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton declared that what developing nations need really to succeed and join the league of advance nations are strong institutions and structure of government peopled by strong men and women of character. She said this has been the missing link all along.

    You can’t but agree with her. Indeed, when you look at the course of the development of the U.S. itself, you would notice the blend of abiding institutions manned by those with near-flawless pedigree. They were not saints, but as a result of their passion, selflessness and commitment they put great performance and left behind legacies which their successors latched on to offer their own contributions in their own generations. After all, government, as they say in political science is a continuum. Edo State cannot be different. “We need a man of repute and good record like Ogiemwonyi to launch the destiny of the citizens to a higher level than we are at the moment”. Because of his service in the strategic public sector of the society, he can be trusted to deliver on two counts.

    First, looking at the profile of Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, he stands out as the leader and most experienced administrator and manager of men and resources. We can count on him to build strong institutions capable of delivering the much sought after dividends of democracy. This is the political talisman the American Secretary of State referred to above.

    Second, he has the capacity to transform the state into the one that will be worthy of emulation. This will perhaps explain why Emmanuel Gold Idehen acknowledges the fact that Engr. Ogiemwonyi’s outstanding quality has earned him the sobriquet, Mr. Integrity.

    He said: “Look at the United States of America. They need men like Ogiemeonyi to draw on their vast experience which beginners may not be able to offer. We need Ogiemwonyi as a governor in Edo, given his past where his ideas stabilise the polity”.

    The choice is, therefore, before Edo APC delegates as the survey shows that Ogiemwonyi will win the APC primary election. Edo APC delegates are no pushover. They cannot be deceived. They are not fools as some sponsors think. They have realized that giving Ogiemwonyi their votes will transform the state to another level.

  • Ogiemwonyi and the people’s mandate

    Integrity is holding fast to our convictions regardless of the consequences and never compromising our ideals or values even though it affects the bottom line but at the height of his career in 2009 as a top boss at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Ogiemwonyi dared to serve in a higher capacity as a Minister and how he navigated his way through what has now been labelled a corrupt government can only live one in bewilderment. Yet he was able to preserve his unblemished record of integrity, discipline and incorruptibility.

    A seasoned technocrat and a revered administrator, Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi has always been a mover and shaker of the system, skilled in the art of negotiation and management. Amongst his prized career experience spanning the best part of more than three decades are some of the largest federal government portfolios in the energy sector. As an Exploration and production chief, he managed a staggering seven oil and gas companies, ranging from NAPIMS, NGC, NPDC, IDSL, crude oil marketing, to LNG and power division. Under his stewardship he initiated some of the best ideas that has been churned out of this sector such as the local content policy which now allow Nigerian own indigenous companies a competing chance at securing bids. For this, on retirement he waslauded by the Benin Kingdom in recognition of his contribution to the progress of the Edo people as many of its sons and daughters have made gains from this initiative.

    But Ogiemwonyi in his true nature has never coveted individual accolades rather his efficiency speaks of a man who has pursued service for the glory of servitude, and his most sincere desire is to contribute as much as possible to uplifting his people and eliminating poverty. Born in Orhionmwon L.G.A in 1951, Chris came from humble beginningsand early on had to help his mother trade to support the family before his father became one of the prominent transporters in the old western region. In a meeting with some party delegates, he narrated how he has always felt the need to give back considering his background.

    From a foundation that caters to children educational scholarship to borehole projects aimed at eradicating river blindness, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi contributed as a civil servant without fanfare and has encouraged everyone to practice this method of philanthropy. As the unemployment numbers sky rocketed and the economy plummeted into a recession, Ogiemwonyi pushed for an economic drift back to agriculture in form of the two acre Modupe Palm Farm and a skills acquisition centrein his community which employs hundreds of personnel bi-annually. As a junior Minister of works he ensured Edo State secured two quality projects on the federal government budget in the form of the Dawson/Ofusu road in Benin cityas well as the rehabilitation of the Igarra Bridge. In the same year he extended his influence even further by facilitating a budget for the dualisation of the Benin/Abraka highway on the Niger Delta Ministry’s portfolio. However in May of 2011, barelyless than a year as Minister he went on to resign and then quit the ruling party on the grounds of the massive scale of corruption under the PDP lead government. It was amidst this tough decision that the legend of Mr Integrity was born.

    In all, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi has been tested time and again and he has always proven that he will not stand for corruption, insisting that a good name is better than riches. Now once again he desires to shake up the status quo as he solicits for the people’s mandate but this time around this election is asking questions of far greater importance because we are in a frugal period. Are we prepared to defeat an ideology of rewarding unqualified opportunists with leadership? Are we ready to begin a change process of nominating leadership based on character, accomplishments and an unwavering antecedent to share with kith and kin? Whether Engr. Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi getsthe nod and one more chance to etch his name in historyas a progressive phenomenon, only time will tell. But in my own opinion it has already been written.

    • Momodu wrote in from Benin City
  • Ogiemwonyi gives N.25m to mother of triplets

    Ogiemwonyi gives N.25m to mother of triplets

    A former Minister of State for Works and an aspirant in the 2016 Governorship election in Edo State, Mr Chris Ogiemwonyi, an engineer, recently stunned Mrs Grace Joshua who gave birth to triplets in Benin City, when he has presented her a cheque of N250,000.

    Ogiemwonyi, who identified Preventive Health Care delivery as a key welfare programme of any good government, said his gesture was to help the family overcome the current economic challenges.

    He noted that he decided to identify with the family because it was difficult for an average family to live well in this current economic challenge most especially when the job of a triplet is added

    According to him, “Preventive Health Care delivery system is one of my key focus. I want Nigerians, especially, the affluent ones, irrespective of political affiliation to assist in the upbringing of the new babies.”

    “Health care delivery, as a key welfare programme of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is the motivating factor for my visit to the medical centre for the purpose of identifying and celebrating with the family of the triplet.”

    Mother of the triplet, Mrs Grace Joshua, thanked  Ogiemwonyi  for the gesture which she described as a surprise.