To Rt Hon. Sir. Ude Oko Chukwu, PhD: The man who saw tomorrow. 

A powerful tribute reveals how Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu’s quiet mentorship and selfless service transformed lives across Nkporo and Abia. Read full story.

I was recently promoted to full Professor of Finance.

It is an achievement that I am grateful for. First to God, and then to Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, a man who saw today many years ago, believed in me and has heavily invested in me.

Today, I make this post to dedicate my promotion to full professorship to him, Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu.

This also affords me the opportunity to talk about him. There is, however, nothing that I or anyone can write on this platform that would do justice to describing a man who has changed the trajectory of our dear community and brought about development that we might never have had in 50 years. I dare say.

This is a man whose quiet generosity has transformed lives and brought about many aspects of development across Nkporo.

In 2007, I told him I wanted to teach. He took me to Abia Poly, and months later, I was appointed an Assistant Lecturer.

Years passed, I earned my PhD, and he asked for my CV, hoping to facilitate a Federal appointment.  But when he saw my CV and saw that I had over 70 articles published in international high-impact factor journals, 10+ local journals, 6 textbooks, numerous seminars and quality academic contributions, he became excited for me and said he preferred I moved over to a university to become a Professor. It sounded implausible at that time but here are we today.

He did not just prognosticate my professorship, he followed that up. He personally submitted my CV to Abia State University and facilitated my appointment as a Lecturer.

You see why my Professorship has the imprint of Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu all over it, and why I am dedicating this success to him.  

We all know that Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu is not an ostentatious person. He probably would not be happy seeing me write this because he did all these quietly and did not want to draw any public attention to it.  It is doubtless because of his walk with God and his commitment to Matthew 6:1-4.

Let me also seize this opportunity to thank him for what he has done for my immediate community, Amurie. 

Beside supporting me, he has employed more than 15 Amurie indigenes in Federal and State parastatals and ministries, including those in the Judiciary, NDLEA, Federal Medical Center, and even as Permanent Secretaries and Chief Magistrates, and many more. More than 10 of our sons and daughters have worked directly under him as Personal Assistants, Senior Special Assistants in the offices of Speaker and the Deputy Governor. He did not stop there. He facilitated the employment of five teachers to strengthen our education system and create jobs for them. And in one deeply moving act, he rescued Miss Favour Anya Chukwu from a life of despair in Lebanon, brought her home, rehabilitated her, and today she is thriving as a 400-level student at ABSU. Similarly, he secured admission for over 10 Amurie indigenes to study Medicine and Law.

When the Amurie-Item Road became impassable, he used his personal funds to carry out palliative work, restoring access and dignity to our people. And when the Amurie Youth Center stood unfinished for over 15 years, he stepped in and roofed it.

His generosity extends beyond Amurie. In Nkporo, he has facilitated the employment of more than six lecturers in institutions of higher learning. He has sponsored many students for undergraduate and postgraduate studies abroad, facilitated the appointment of more than five magistrates, and created over 200 job opportunities for Nde Nkporo in federal and state ministries.

He used his personal funds to ensure that the Abiriba-Nkporo road was completed. He also facilitated the situation of a Cottage hospital in Nkporo. Each community in Nkporo got ar least two vehicles from his empowerment 2014. The greatest of all in the history of Abia State. In the same breath, he bought an SUV for each of the autonomous community Ezes in Nkporo. Felicitated appointment of Nkporo to ABSU Governing Council and another to the rank of Vice President, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo. You can imagine the spiral effects of all these good gestures from him

Nkporo has been blessed with a lot of great sons and daughters who have donated time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better Nkporo over the years. These people have quietly helped to forge the Nkporo that we all see today and have created a pedestal where young great minds are now standing to continue to contribute to the Nkporo cause.

Another one of his ilk that I must appreciate is Rt Hon. Prince Arua Arunsi who has also quietly done a lot for our people. Hon Prince Arua has facilitated the employment of more than 40 Nkporo indigenes in very lucrative federal and state jobs.

I would never fail to appreciate the old brooms of philanthropy in Nkporo such as Chief Ude Agwu Onuoha (UD Expensive) and His Eminence, Ndukwe Ude Ndukwe (NDYSON) and Eze Agwu Nwankwo (LUNA) who have silently sponsored many Nkporo indigenes to overseas studies and facilitated many projects and programmes in Nkporo.

We also have unsung heroes of Nkporo Okwe who have given scholarship to many Nde Nkporo to studies in Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Teacher Training Institutes. Such unsung heroes include my own father, Chief DeVita Agwu Ejem; Chief K. O. Ugwa, Elder O. E. Mang, and many others.

Recently, young philanthropists like Chief Jackson Ude, Chief Sunday Ugwa, Chief Oji Uba, Chief Uche Iroha, Engr Chukwu Kalu, and many others have stepped into the shoes of the old brooms, not just with words, but with action. They have facilitated jobs, sponsored students to universities both here in Nigeria and abroad, empowered entrepreneurs, and carried out countless acts of kindness that have transformed lives across our community. Their efforts are not just commendable; they are inspiring. They remind us that the spirit of service is alive, and that the future of Nkporo is in capable, compassionate hands. I deeply appreciate them too.

But I digress.

Today is not just a celebration of my academic achievement; it is a celebration of vision and mentorship.  To Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, your dream of seeing Chukwu Agwu Ejem become a Professor has come to fruition. I owe my deepest thanks to God, but I would never take for granted the role you played in this journey. You saw potential where others saw possibility. You believed, you supported, and you acted. Your quiet strength and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on my life and on the lives of Nkporo people. I pray that God continues to bless you with more opportunities to uplift, to empower, and to perform even greater works for our people.

Prof Chukwu Agwu Ejem

Professor of Finance

Villa of Peace Amaoba Layout, Amurie Nkporo