By Clifford Dike.
For the member representing Ideato North and South in the House of Representatives, Hon. (Dr) Pascal Chigozie Obi, it has been a fulfilling 52 years of life trajectory.
His 52 birthday is a loud reminder that Hon. Obi still has untapped raw energy and bright and beautiful life and years ahead to continue to dutifully serve God and humanity.
His constituents, the great people of Ideato ancient kingdom say, silver and gold they have non to offer their son to mark his birthday but that their only enduring birthday present will be their votes come February next year when they will vote him back to the House to continue with his people-oriented superlative representation, this time around, on the platform of the wave of the moment, the Labour Party.
At 52, Hon. Obi has achieved monumental milestones both in public and private life yet he is a perfect definition of octane humility.
Essentially, despite the paraphernalia and pressure of office, Hon. Obi have no airs and exudes non; who you see is a man with the innocence of a child and wisdom of ages.
He is a man with consanguineous and filial connections with his, constituents, friends, family and aides.
Dr Paschal Chigozie Obi is urbane, cerebral and detribalised. He neither knows neither Jews nor Gentiles but humanity.
His worldview upholds only brotherhood.
Hon. Obi is not just 52 years in age; he is 52 years of vintage strides and style, handcrafted and tailored to perfection.
A seasoned optometrist who has transversed public life at a relatively young age, Dr Obi was born in 1970.
He read Optometry at the Imo state university and later capped it with a Masters’s degree in Public Health from the University of Nigeria Enugu campus.
A knight of the Catholic Church, Dr Obi joined the Imo State Ministry of Health Owerri in 1998.
He would rather rise to become The Acting Director of Public Health and Primary Health Care in the ministry and also the coordinator, of the National Programme for Prevention of Blindness (Vision 2020).
Former Governor of Imo State Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha appointed Dr Obi Permanent Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Governor, a position he held till August 2018 to seek elective office.
Dr Obi’s friends, family and constituents are not just saying happy birthday to a man of the people, a man with the kindest heart and quintessential representative, they are resolutely saying, Pascal, ga na agara any ije na House of Reps na Abuja (Pascal will continue to represent us at the House of Reps in Abuja)!
Dr Obi’s constituents, of course, have every reason to yearn for his return to the House of Reps come next year.
First elected in 2019, Dr Obi’s three and half years sojourn at the House of Reps as the representative of the Ideato Nation has left indelible smiles on the faces of his constituents.
For example, all communities in the federal constituency bear witness to his socio-economic and infrastructural blitz.
This can be gleaned from the total number of boreholes he has drilled at designated points within the following communities:
- URUALLA
- OBODOUKWU
- DIKENAFAI
- UGBELLE
- ORIE UMUOBOM
- UMUMAISIAKU
- AMANATO
- NDIANICHE UNO
- OSINA
- OBIOHIA
He has also either established or upgraded comprehensive Health Facilities situated
AKPULU, OSINA, OZU – URUALLA, UMUOKWARA, AKOKWA, DIKENAFAI, OBIOHIA, NTUEKE, UMUMAISIAKU, UMUOBOM and OGBOKO.
Phase similar project is also ongoing at UMUALAOMA, UMUAGHOBE, UMUCHIMA, UGBELLE, UMUESHI, FMC ANNEX UMUEZEALLA – OGBOKO
Ideato is prone to erosion hence Dr Pascal Obi is paying special attention to roads and erosion control in the constituency.
So far, to his credit are a 1.5 Km Road at Akpulu, a 1.5 Km Road at Nneato-Ogwugwu Dikenafai, erosion control at Obiohia,
Solar-powered street lights at Umukegwu- Akokwa, Ozuakoli – Urualla and Obiohia – Umuago road.
A firm believer in human capital development, Dr Obi has established a plethora of various skill acquisition and empowerment programmes and centres across the constituency and has also, through his influence, secured federal jobs for several qualified persons in the constituency.
– Clifford Dike writes from Urualla, Ideato North LGA