Profile of Rt. Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu (FCA, FCTI, PHF, KSM PHD) Deputy Governor, Abia State

The Rt. Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu was born at Etitiama Nkporo in the present Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. He attended Ndi Elu Primary School and Nkporo Secondary School both in Nkporo for his Primary and Secondary Education between 1970 and 1982.

In 1983, he proceeded to the Federal College of education(Technical),Akoka Lagos to study Accounting Education where he became an outstanding student in his Department.

In his final year at F.C.E, he sat for and passed the A level G.C.E. Examinations in flying colours.

Upon graduation from the College in 1986 and armed with an impressive A-Level G.C.E. result, he gained admission for a degree course in Accounting at the University of Lagos.

In 1989 and as an undergraduate of University of Lagos, studying Accounting he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, having satisfied the requisite conditions and scaled through the final hurdles.

In 1991, Rt Hon Sir Ude Oko Chukwu graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Accounting. Thereafter in 1997, he obtained his MSc. Degree also in Accounting from the same University of Lagos. He capped his educational pursuits with a Ph.D in Finance from Abia state University.
In 1990, he was elected an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants(ACA) and in 1998, an Associate of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria(ACTI) and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) in 2000, Rt Hon Sir Ude Oko Chukwu had his professional training with Eze George & Co. (Chartered Accountants) in Lagos between 1997 and 2000 where he rose to become a partner.

Between 1988 and 1989, he served as Accountant, SMACS Computers, Lagos and General manager, CONTECH Ventures Ltd. Lagos from 1989 to 1996, Rt Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu became the Principal Partner of Chukwu Ude Oko and Co. (Chartered Accountants), Lagos, from 2001- 2003.
In the year 2001, Rt Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu joined active politics and two years after in 2003, he contested for and won the House of Assembly seat to represent Ohafia North State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly.

He was re-elected in 2007 by the good people of Ohafia North State Constituency because of his quality representation and concrete delivery of democracy dividends to them in the previous dispensation.

As a member of the House of Assembly between 2003 and 2011, he presided over the affairs of many House Committees which amongst others included; House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, House Committee on House Services, House Committee on Anti-corruption, House Committee on Public Accounts, House Committee on Public Utilities and House Committee on Environment.

He was also a member of so many House Standing Committees including Boundary and Security Matters Committee, Appropriation Committee, Education Committee, Agricultural Committee, as well as Chairman of many Ad-Hoc Committes on various matters.

Socially, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu identifies with many groups in his quest to be close to his people and share their problems. At the Federal College of Education(Technical) Akoka Lagos, besides other posts held at the Departmental level, he was the Clerk of House in the Students Union Government during the 1984/1985 season. He was the first President of Alpha Club Exclusive of Nigeria and Nigeria Federation of Catholic Students(NFCS), FCE(Tech) Akoka Lagos.

He was also the first National Chairman Iyierimba Age Grade of Etitiama Nkporo, first National Chairman of Nkporo Youths Association and Pioneer President of Nkporo Youths Vanguard.

In the religious realm, Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu is a God-fearing and devout Roman Catholic Christian. He belongs to the Knighthood of St Mulumba. He has been conferred with several Chieftaincy Titles and Awards by Communities, Churches and other Organizations.

He is a philanthropist par excellence, a Paul Haris Fellow and a Major Donor in Rotary International among others.
For 12 years, Rt Hon Sir Ude Oko Chukwu represented the people of Ohiafia North State Constituency creditably in the Abia State House of Assembly. Out of these number of the years, he presided over the affairs of the 5th Abia State House of Assembly as the Honourable Speaker for 4 years with an enriched working experience in both the public and private sectors. Rt. Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu also served as the National Vice Chairman, Conference of Speakers (South East Zones) from 2012-2014.

He was equally the Chairman of Select Committees of the Honourable House by virtue of his position as the Speaker from June 2011 to May 28, 2015.
In 2013, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu attended the SAID Business School, University of Oxford United Kingdom and has also attended so many other National and International Seminars and Conferences. Within this period of stewardship, Rt Hon Sir Ude Oko Chukwu recorded outstanding achievements in the Abia Legislature which was then described as the most peaceful, vibrant, united and result-oriented Legislature in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Given his pedigree, outstanding political antecedents and administrative sagacity. Rt Hon. Sir, Ude Oko Chukwu was nominated by the People’s Democratic Party Abia State and elected as the Deputy Governor in the 2015 General Elections and was re-elected the Deputy Governor of the State in 2019 General Elections. Currently, he is a two-time sitting Deputy Governor of Abia State, willing and ready at all times to join hands with his Boss, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu to change for the better the face and fortunes of God’s own State and her people.

As Deputy Governor since 2015, Rt. Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu has shown remarkable commitment and support to the achievements of the dynamic and service oriented administration of Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.

The office of the Deputy Governor under the watch of Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, charged with the responsibility of handling Abia Boundary problems with seven States namely Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom, has left no stone unturned to ensure peaceful co-existence, security of lives and property along the border corridors to reflect the name of the State as God’s own State.

Sir Ude Oko Chukwu as the Chairman of the State Cocoa Development Committee has since 2015 ensured the exploitation of the Agricultural potentials of the State to enhance Cocoa production and Agricultural produce, to make the State a leading Cocoa producing State, for the local consumption and exploitation, thereby increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the State.

Also as Chairman of Abia State Revenue Council, the Deputy Governor since 2015 has taken measures to improve the Revenue profile of the State. Such measures included supervision of the bio-metric exercise to fish out ghost workers, blocking of revenue leakages, stoppage of padding of salaries among Civil Servants, harmonisation and sanitization of collection of levies and taxes to increase the IGR of the State for the provision of infrastructure and basic amenities to the electorate.

The success of this exercise has saved some reasonable revenue for the State Government and helped cushion the effects of the global economic down turn and challenges.

Health as a major policy thrust of the present administration has through the Office of the Deputy Governor continued to receive attention especially in immunization programs against Polio and other child killer diseases In order to make the State and Nation Polio free which has now been achieved.

Rt. Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu as the Deputy Governor and Chairman, Abia State Drug Control Committee and Primary Healthcare Under One Roof Committee has done tremendously well by ensuring that the committees abide by their respective terms of reference to avoid conflicts in the interest of the State and her people. The Deputy Governor has continued to demonstrate his commitment towards the realization of the Nigerian Dry Port Project in Abia State as a veritable source of revenue and employment opportunities to the State.

Born out of proper understanding, loyalty, consultation and unity of purpose, the Deputy Governor has represented and spoken always the mind and vision of his Boss Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu in different engagements since 2015.

In all these engagement, ranging from courtesy calls, heading of various delegations, committees, ceremonies, Church Services as well as meetings both in the State and at Federal level (South East Governor’s Forum, National Economic Council Meeting etc) the Deputy Governor has not failed to emphasize the five cardinal policy thrust of the Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration which includes Agriculture, Education, Health, Trade and Commerce and Oil and Gas.

With this pragmatic, articulate, humble, loyal, ever ready and willing to serve disposition of the Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, the Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu-led administration has been able to deliver good governance and dividends of democracy to Abians and taking the State to greater height. The result is that Abians today are happy that the mandate they gave to Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu and his Deputy, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu is reflecting democratization with every well-meaning individual itching and striving to participate and contribute his or her own quota for the overall development of the state.

Rt Hon. Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, a widely travelled person is happily married to Lady Nnnena Vivian Ude Oko Chukwu and the marriage is blessed with children.
To God be the glory.