By Enyinnaya Appolos
After his annual vacation, Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu met today with Chief Emeka Onwuka who has been the head of his “think tank” to brainstorm and review crucial matters arising from the Governor’ recent engagements outside the country in order to put to action necessary measures that will ensure that Abia State continues to make positive progress all round.
Onwuka, who is the Partner & Head of Private Clients & Family Wealth Practice at Andersen Tax Nigeria, is a proud Abia son from Ohuhu clan in Umuahia North LGA of the state.
A former Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO) of Diamond Bank Plc, Chief Onwuka retired from the Bank on April 30, 2011, after 19 years of meritorious service to the Bank.
He handed over to Mr. Alex Otti, another son of Abia State from Arochukwu LGA, as the GMD/CEO of Diamond Bank and he served in that capacity for about 2 years before throwing his hat into the political ring and lost to Dr Okezie Ikpeazu in 2015.
Emeka began his professional career with Arthur Andersen Nigeria in 1988 as a Staff Assistant and left in 1992 as a Senior Consultant, providing accounting, audit, tax, business advisory and strategic services to companies in banking, oil and gas, manufacturing and general commerce.
He took Diamond Bank to its current enviable height as he maneuvered the Paschal Dozie owned bank through industry-wide consolidation and recapitalization challenges of 2004/2005 through private placements, listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the acquisition of Lion Bank Plc.
He also expanded the bank’s operation into the West African sub region, with branches established in Benin Republic, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Togo.
Onwuka has remained a strong ally of Governor Ikpeazu and like Governor Ikpeazu, he wants the best for Abia and hence detests the distraction of Governor Ikpeazu from his task of positively changing the Abia narrative.
Onwuka has been the head of Governor Ikpeazu’s Think-Tank from the campaign days in 2014 till date. Minister for Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelama, was also a member of the Ikpeazu THINk-Tank before his appointment as Minister by the Buhari administration.
Governor Ikpeazu is expected to leave for Rwanda tomorrow, where he has been invited to speak at the Transform Africa Summit holding in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The Abia development model is expected to take center stage at the summit.
Enyinnaya Appolos
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
06/05/2018
