Meet Sir Sam Ifeanyi Onuigbo, South-East Rep on NEDC board
Onuigbo is an indigene of Abia State. He is currently on the board of the North-East Development Commission.
He represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Onuigbo was a member on the committee of Climate change.
Recall that on the 19th July, 2023 President Bola Tinubu, requested the Senate to confirm a board comprising General Paul Tarfa, Chairman (North East Adamawa); Hon Gambo Maikyau member (North East Taraba); Abdullahi Abbas member (North West Kano); Zaf Steven Ondora, Member (North Central Benue); Chief Mutiu Lawal Areh, Member (South Wes Lagos).
Others are, Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo, Member( South East Abia); Frank Achinike Owo Member ( south south rivers); Mohamed Goni Alkali (Managing Director North East Borno).
The rest for re-appointment are Musa Yashi Executive Director of Humanitarian Affairs ( North East Bauchi); Ahmed Abdulsalam Yahaya Executive Director of Operations, (North East Gombe and Dr Abubakar Garba Ileah, Executive Director of Admin and finance, (North East Yobe).
Presently, the board has toured Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States with the intention to visit Adamawa and Taraba in a bid to inspect its ongoing projects and farmiliarise members with stakeholders for improved development.
The NEDC hallmark beyond reconstruction and rebuilding following the challenges of insurgency in the region has been to impact on Education, Healthcare delivery, Mass housing and provision of palliatives to cushion effect of hardship.
Onuigbo lives his life in service…
Born on Nigeria’s Independence Day in 1960, the young Ifeanyi attended Community Primary School Obuohia Obi-Ibere, Oboro Secondary Commercial School, Umudike, and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State where he obtained a National Certificate in Education in 1983.
He further earned a Diploma in Law from the University of Lagos and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. Rep. Onuigbo also attended Executive Education Programme on Leadership at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA; participated in courses at the US Department of State Foreign Service Institute, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Washington DC; Public Affairs Council, Washington, DC; Training on Security by ASIS International at New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
He trained in Finance, Accounting and Corporate Governance. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, London; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management – Chartered; Member, ASIS International, Virginia, USA and Patron, Nigerian Institute of Management, Umuahia Chapter.
Sam Onuigbo worked at the U.S Embassy (now US Consulate General Lagos, Nigeria) for eighteen meritorious years during which time he rose to the sensitive position of Supervisory Fraud Prevention Specialist. During his time at the U.S Embassy, Rep. Onuigbo won several Meritorious Honour awards from the U.S Department of State.
At the National level, he was Special Adviser, Public Affairs, Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives, National Assembly, Abuja, during the 6th Assembly.
At the State level, he was the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Lands and Survey; Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Abia State; a former Board Member, International Glass Industries Limited, Aba.
From 2015-2023, he was the Member who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Abia State at the House of Representatives (the first House of Representatives member from the constituency to be re-elected). He was the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change during the 8th Assembly; and currently the Vice President (Africa) of GLOBE International. He is also the Chairman, Security, Special Interventions, and Climate Change as well as a Member, Governing Board North East Development Commission.
Sam Onuigbo sponsored Nigeria’s Climate Change Act and has presented several papers on Climate Change locally and internationally especially on driving inter-country legislative collaboration for climate action.
In 2023, he was inducted into the Most Valuable Parliamentarian Hall of Fame for the 9th Assembly of Nigeria.
He is married to Pastor Dame Princess Chinyere Sam Onuigbo JP and they are blessed with children.
Call to Action …
Science and events around us tell us that our world will be destroyed if we do not take action immediately. So, there is no time for more talk. This should be all about action, action! From developed countries meeting their obligations, to developing countries committing resources to build for the future, to the private sector going totally green, it is time for action and less talk.
