Profile of Obinna Eze Oriaku ‘Ekwe Dike of Ngwa Land’: Risk Manager in Politics
EARLY LIFE
Obinna Eze Oriaku was born on March 17, 1973 to his teacher and Anglican parents Mr Emmanuel and Mrs Grace Oriaku of Owerrinta, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government, Abia State.
By 1978, at Owerrinta Primary School through the deliberate attempt of his parents, Obinna had started taking lessons on prudence, honesty, trust, accountability, transparency, self respect and obedience.
His transition to Ascension junior Seminary Asa in 1984 was a further attempt to sustain the acquisition of core moral and religious values that complement a purpose- driven life.
Though Obinna did not take further lessons on Theology, he picked up rich values to help his growing up and personal development.
EDUCATION
Obinna cut his academic teeth at Oweerinta Primary School, Isiala Ngwa in 1978. Leaving home to faraway Asa was no accident as Ascension Junior Seminary Asa, as at 1984 when Obinna was enrolled, was nest of champions and a model school for character moulding.
His voyage to Abia State University Uturu in 1992, which he was to later reveal, was to prepare him roundly for public service. Thus, the four years he spent at the department of Government and Public Adminstration (GPD)where he graduated with (2.1)were committed to being schooled in the rudiments of policy making, conflict resolution, total quality management, public affairs and organisational management.
Graduating as one of the tops in 1997 GPD class, Obinna rejected an offer of Graduate Assistant Lecturer to pursue his dream of tinkering the growth and sustenance of blue chip companies.
Apart from various certifications on risk management, credit monitoring and financial management running across the financial and management industries, the Owerrinta born Banker, turned politician, returned to the classroom in 2015 to acquire knowledge from ESUT BUSINESS SCHOOL where he bagged a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). This exposure gave him the comparative advantage of learning practicable Business development models, development economics, the rules of engagement in socio - political dynamics and, most importantly, ideals of profitable business management
MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Obinna is Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Fellow, Chartered Institute of Finance & Control (CIFCN) and also Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration (SICA)
The attainment of these noble feats are eloquent testimonies that the Master of Business Administration is a major player in Management, Finance/Control and Credit Administration among others.
WORK EXPERIENCE
The former Commissioner for Finance, Abia State fed his passion for Banking and financial management early enough. Shortly after his mandatory National Service, Obinna joined FSB International in 1999 as a Relationship Officer. Though he had joggled in between four other banks and financial institutions, Obinna had stuck with First Bank Nigeria Ltd where he rose to the rank of Regional Business Development Manager .
2.
Bank PHB PLC 2006 - 2010
Business Development Manager, Enugu State.
3. First City Monument Bank June 2006 - August 2006
Relationship Officer, Commercial Banking Group
4.Diamond Bank Plc January 2005 to June 2006
Relationship Officer, Commercial Banking Group
5.Citizens Bank International Plc 2002 - 2005
Relationship Officer, (Head of Credit) Commercial Banking Group
In the banking sector, Obinna grew in integrity quotient heading very sensitive and trust challenging positions.He managed the entire Enugu State government relationship with BankPhb / First bank Nigeria from 2005 to 2015 serving two Governors of Enugu State meritoriously, His Excellency Chimaroke Nnamani and His Excellency Sullivan Chime .Obinna Oriaku became an integral part of Enugu state government economic management team, this exposed him to the rudiments of public sector/government management. .No doubt 22 years in the banking sector is an imprimatur on probity, accountability, prudence, honesty and transparency, the cardinal principles that shape leadership.
POLITICS
In 2015, first in a bid to actualize the dream of having a Governor of Ngwa extraction and most importantly to support his brother and friend Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to become Governor, the son of teacher joined the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State.
Considering his wealth of experience and a visible passion to support aggressive paradigm shift in fiscal discipline, the newly elected Ikpeazu sort the approval of First bank Nigeria Ltd to second Obinna to serve Abia State government on PRO BONO (without salary)and appointed him Special Adviser, Economic Affairs. Thus, Obinna made history as the very first few appointments the Governor made to drive his identified pillars of governance.
Not long, after in 2015, Obinna was elevated to the rank of Commisioner for Finance in Abia State when the executive council was formed, being the first Ngwa man to occupy that office, a position he held till May 29, 2019. It is instructive to note that he was very key to the achievements recorded during the first term ,no wonder he was among the two Commissioners that survived two executive council desolutions within the first term . While he served as Adviser, Economic Affairs and Commissioner for Finance, the financial expert who Chaired the State Management of Bailout funds, Paris club refund, Abia Development Plan Framework (2015-2025) introduced far reaching reforms, including but not limited to:
a. restructuring of most institutions including the Educational
Sector and the entire civil service.
b. supervised the automation and deployment of centralized payroll of
Civil Servants’ salary payment.
c. introduced the automated and biometric capturing of pensioneers.
d. developed and deepened the relationship with the multilateral and
donor agencies such as World Bank, USAID, AFDB and other
development assistance agencies.
e. introduced reforms that reduced the overhead, padding of salaries and cost of governance
in Abia State by about Six Hundred Million Naira.
The former Commissioner was to manage frosty relationship with his party members and colleagues who were either threatened by his rising profile or were obviously not comfortable with his reforms that changed the narratives in fiscal responsibility then in Abia State . Obinna was to later get embroiled in the uncivil fight of who becomes the Chief of Staff (COS) to Governor in 2019 shortly after the inauguration of Governor Ikpeazu's second term in office. Obinna had the disposition that public service should not be attractive enough for people to become desperate about political appointments. He left the PDP, a party he joined in 2015.
By April 2020, Obinna had announced his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His defection to APC apart from unsettling his foes as per his next move, put a natural end to the bickering and tussle about who becomes the Chief of Staff.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Obinna announced upon his appointment as Adviser to the Governor that his services to the Abia State Government will be at no salary implication to the State Government. In a move many considered to be uncommon, his employers wrote off his bills while Abia State Government saved what they would have spent paying him salaries for four years.
2. Undergraduate students in his local Owerrinta have, since 2012 benefitted from his scholarship scheme.
3. He was reputed to have personally paid counterpart funds for the CSDP market and electrification projects sited in Owerrinta and Umuochala respectively
4. While serving as a Commissioner, the ABSU trained Administrator was able to attract two major roads which the State Government executed, the Umuojima and Umuochala roads. He also ensured that two schools were remodeled while committing resources to provide rural electrification, bore hole and employments for qualified indigenes.
Little wonder, the immediate past Chairman, Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers His Eminence Eze Eberechi Dick, nominated and eventually conferred on him EKWE DIKE EKWUOLA 1 of NGWA LAND, a Chieftaincy title fit for only warriors.
Obinna has by this recognition been admitted to the select rank of titled Chiefs in Ngwa land, nay Nigeria
MARRIAGE
Obinna Eze Oriaku is married to Happiness, a Federal Civil Servant. Their marriage is blessed with children .