The order by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja today, (June 27, 2016)
that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should
immediately issue a certificate of return to a certain Dr. Uche Ogah
after annulling Abia governor, Okezie Ikpeazu’s election has left many
wondering exactly who the new ‘sherrif’ in town was.
The governorship hopeful is an oil magnate, entrepreneur, investor
and philanthropist. Ogah is the President of Master Energy Group, a
conglomerate with over 15 subsidiaries and interests across a variety of
industries. Ogah holds the Nigerian national honour, the Officer of the
Order of the Niger (OON). Here are 6 things you should know about the super rich
business tycoon who is confident about replacing Ikpeazu as governor of
Abia state sooner than later…
1. Uchechukwu S. Ogah was born on December 22, 1969 to Chief Wilson
and Ezinne Pauline Ogah of Onuaku Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Are
of Abia State.
2. He attended Ishiagu High School, after which he garnered some
working experience at the West African Examination Council (WAEC) from
1986–89, before he proceeded to the Institute of Management and
Technology (IMT), Enugu State where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary
National Diploma (OND) in 1992 and Distinction at the Higher National
Diploma (HND) Level in 1995 in Accounting. He obtained a PGD at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 2005. He also has a Bachelor of
Science degree (Banking and Finance) from Ogun State University and a
Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Lagos. Ogah
obtained his ACA in 2007. He is a Fellow, Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN);[4] Fellow, Institute of Brand Management
of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Shipping; Fellow, Employment
& Career and member, Chartered Institute of Bankers.
3. He began his career as a banker with a year of National Youth
Service year at NAL Bank Plc. Thereafter, he took up full employment at
All States Trust Bank where he worked for around two years before
joining Zenith Bank in 1997. At Zenith Bank, he set a record of growing a
new branch from zero balance sheets to over N9 billion and rose to the
position of an Assistant General Manager (AGM) in Zenith Bank. He
resigned in 2007 to pursue a career in entrepreneurship.
4. After he left Zenith bank, Ogah ventured into the Oil and gas
business and founded Master Energy Group. Today, the company has grown
in leaps and bounds into a conglomerate with workforce of about 42, 000
with interests in oil & gas, banking, insurance, aviation, shipping,
dredging, logistics, construction, travel services, and power. Masters
Energy Oil and Gas Limited has grown into a conglomerate with
investments worth tens of billions of naira. At a time when investors
were exiting the Niger Delta because its security challenges, Masters
Energy City invested billions of naira in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He owns a 158,000 tonne petroleum products storage facility which
provides direct employment to over 600 citizens of the Niger Delta
region, and over 4,000 ancillary positions.
Masters Energy City contains a fabrication yard which fabricates and
constructs equipment for use in the oil and gas industry and other
sectors. The fabrication yard has constructed two different 1,000 MT
capacity barges and is presently constructing additional three barges.
Masters Energy sells petroleum products at over 60 retail outlets in
Nigeria.
5. Ogah ia also an accomplished philantropist. He set up the Uche
Ogah Foundation in December 2001 with the aim of providing empowerment,
poverty alleviation, and providing education for the less privileged.
His foundation has sponsored free medical services in different parts of
Nigeria, in addition to building and equipping a number of modern
hospitals in his native community, Uturu and other communities in
Nigeria. He also partnered with a number of medical centres, including
the Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre, to fabricate artificial limbs and
calipers for people with a disability.
Ogah has offered scholarships to both primary and secondary students
across Nigeria since 2006. He is also building a 5,000 capacity
auditorium in Abia State University.
6. In 2014, Ogah was awarded, a national award – the Officer of the
Order of the Niger (OON) by the Federal government of Nigeria. Other
awards and honours include: Honorary Doctorate degree in Business
Administration by Abia State University, Ambassador, Governing Council
of the Nigeria-Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2013 Nigerian –
American Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Entrepreneur by Nigerian –
American Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador of Peace, UN-POLAC Effective
Leadership Award by Global Youths Awareness & Development.
Initiative (GYADI), Award for Excellence Foundation Entrepreneurship
Promoter of the Year by Entrepreneurship Promotions Academy Africa,
Diamond Father of the Year, 2012 by Catholic Men’s Organisation, Masters
Dei Cathedral Parish, Umuahia, Sector Development by Institute of
Management. & Technology, Enugu, (Aba Chapter) among others.
21 things you need to remember about Gov. Ikpeazu
- Born October 18, 1964 to a native of Umuebere in Umuobiakwa village in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State
- Attended Amaise Central Primary School, Umuobiakwa, had his
secondary education at Eziama High School, Aba and Ihie High School,
Isiala Ngwa graduating in the year 1979.
- Studied Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Maiduguri
(UNIMAID), he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) Second Class Upper Division
in August, 1984.
- Was mobilized for his mandatory one year national youth service in
August 1984 where he worked as a clinical biochemist in the medical
laboratory of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology
(RSUST) Port Harcourt.
- 1986 – 1987 served as Graduate-Assistant in the Department of Science and Laboratory Technology at the University of Maiduguri
- In 1990 he completed his Masters Program in Biochemical Toxicology and defended.
- 1990 – 1992 during his PhD studies, taught at Calabar Polytechnic
- In 1994, he bagged a Doctorate Degree in Biochemical Pharmacology from University of Calabar at age 30.
9.1994 – 1996 served as Administrative Manager at Cash Bond Investments and Credits Ltd, Lagos
- 1998 – lecturer in the Department of Applied Biochemistry, Faculty
of Applied Natural Sciences at the Enugu State University of Science and
Technology - 2000 – 2002 Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Department of
Biochemistry at the Ebonyi State University College of Basic Medical
Sciences - 2001 – became Head of Department in the Department of Applied
Biochemistry, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences at the Enugu State
University of Science and Technology - 2002 – Transition Committee Chairman for Obingwa local government area
- 2003 – 2004 Master’s Degree External Examiner at the Department of Biochemistry and the University of Nigeria
- 2007 – 2009 General Manager of Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest and Safety Scheme (ASPIMSS)
- 2010 appointed chairman at Governing Council of Abia State College of Health Technology
- 2011 – 2013 reappointed General Manager of Abia State Passengers
Integrated Manifest and Safety Scheme (ASPIMSS), appointed first Deputy
General Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA)
Abia and Environment - He is a practicing Christian.
19.He has to his credit twelve journal articles, published one book, with another book in the press.
- He is the President Eastern Ngwa Country Sports Club of Nigeria.
21.He is married to Mrs. Nkechi Okezie Ikpeazu, and they have four children.
Source: Encomium