By Izunna Okafor


Birthday, Amin Kalantri said, is a reminder to celebrate life as well as to update the life.

It is in line with this age-long dictum that Mr. Emmanuel Chibuzor Nwachukwu excelled unto his 59th rung in the ladder of years.

Born on this special day in the year 1963, Mr. Nwachukwu, a native of Umuhu village in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria, is a renowned accountant, accomplished management expert and quintessential leader, who has distinguished himself in various capacities and facets of human endeavours, both nationally and internationally.

Popularly known as ỌNỌDUGO, Chief Nwachukwu also interestingly walked down the aisle with the love of his life, Mrs Paulyn Nwachukwu on a special day like this in the year 1997, thereby pegging this first day of the month of love (February 1) as a day of double celebration and conviviality.

Nwachukwu is a 1987 graduate of Accounting from University of Nigeria Nsukka. He has also done Advanced Management Programmes (AMP) with Lagos Business School and IESE University in Barcelona, Spain.

His several years of top-flight experience include senior management responsibility at Corporate and General Investments, CGI Limited, a funds management and consulting company and senior management positions at UBA Plc. He was a key member of the turnaround management team of New Nigeria Bank Plc, which recapitalized, restructured and repositioned the bank in 2000 before it joined other banks to consolidate into Unity Bank.

He left NNB Plc in 2004 to help set up Berkeley Group Plc, a private equity firm with investments in telecoms, oil & gas and financial services sectors. As the Group Executive Director of Berkeley Group Plc, he led the group in the bid and acquisition of the West African assets of Willbros Group Inc. of USA.

He moved in 2007 to become the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Willbros Group, later renamed Ascot, a major pipelines construction company. He stepped down from the Board of Ascot in April, 2012.

He returned to Berkeley Group Plc to anchor the Group’s power privatization interests through PRIMENIZA ENERGY LIMITED. The firm that bided for Afam Power Plant. Similarly, he coordinated the integration of Multi-Links Telecoms Ltd and MTS Telecoms Ltd into Capcom Telecoms Limited, the owner of 5,500Km of Optic Fibre, as Finance Director.

Emm Nwachukwu is also a non-executive director of Frontier Capital and Regus Nigeria, an international brand.

A recipient of over 30 national and international awards, honours and recognitions, Mr. Nwachukwu's managerial expertise, exemplary leadership style, laudable accomplishments and impacts are not only felt 'over there', but are also felt even more in his homestate, Anambra, and hometown, Ukpor, as are evidenced in the various leadership positions he has successfully held and currently holds till date.

A grassroot leader, he was also a one-time President General of Ukpor Improvement Union (U.I.U.) —the apex leadership body in his community, Ukpor —with numerous feats and achievements.

A public affairs analyst, ardent patriot and advocate of good governance who has shown keen interest in national development, Mr. Emma Nwachukwu is also the current Leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ukpor, the capital seat of Nnewi South, among several other positions he has held.

Unarguably, ONODUGO is a man to count on..., an uncommon philanthropist, an ideal leader, a counselor, a teacher, a motivator, a goal getter, an icon, and in fact a role model to many...

And today, nature and creatures of the earth smile for his fecund and impactful life as he turns a year older and celebrates many years of conjugal unity with his amiable and pulchritudinous wife.

On that note, I say Happy Birthday to you, Mr. Emmanuel Chibuzor Nwachukwu. Your are indeed a blessing to your generation.

And may the good Lord continue to bless, grant your heart desires, and give you the grace to live more positive and impactful life, as you turned a year older today.

Happy birthday, great man, ỌNỌDUGO

Ya gaziere gị...