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Obi Paschal Chigozie
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Obi Paschal Chigozie is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 House of Representative Elections as the Labour Party (LP) candidate in Imo.
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Biography
Paschal Chigozie Obi is a Nigerian politician. He served as a member representing Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Early life and marriage
Paschal Chigozie Obi was born on 15 July 1970 in Obiohia, Ideato South LGA, Imo State. He is married to Mrs. Jennifer Ifeoma Obi (LSM) with six children.
Education
Chigozie completed his primary education at Community Primary School, Obiohia, in 1982. He attended Comprehensive Secondary School, Urualla, where he passed his West African School Certificate Examination in 1987. He was admitted to Abia State University, Uturu, to study Optometry, graduating in 1993. In 2010, he obtained a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.
Political career
He served as Acting Director in the State Ministry of Health, Owerri, and Coordinator of the National Programme for Prevention of Blindness (Vision 2020), until his appointment as Permanent Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Governor of Imo State in June 2011. In Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration, he was re-appointed as Principal Secretary to the Governor in April 2015. He was elected as a member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency under the platform of the Action Alliance (AA) in 2019, and served as Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions. He defected to the Labour Party (LP) and contested the February 2023 elections for a second term in the House but lost to Ikenga Ugochinyere of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even after a legal challenge.
Legal challenge and victory
An Appeal Court sitting in Owerri on 1 November 2019 affirmed the victory of Paschal Chigozie, Member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, dismissing the appeal of Austin Chukwukere of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the grounds that it lacked merit. This judgment confirmed the ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal which had earlier acknowledged Paschal Chigozie of the Action Alliance party (AA), as winner of the February 2019 National Assembly Election. Chigozie challenged his defeat to Ikenga Ugochinyere at the 2023 National Assembly polls. The Imo State Election Petitions Tribunal initially ruled in favour of Chigozie Obi, sacking Ikenga Ugochinyere as an illegal contestant in the election. But this judgment was reversed by an Appeal Court sitting in Lagos thus affirming Ikenga’s victory stating that the tribunal lacked jurisprudence over pre-election cases.
Religion
Paschal Chigozie Obi is a Christian.
Awards and honors
Knight of St. Mulumba (KSM), Christ the King Church Owerri
Fellow, Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA)
Traditional Prime Minister, Obiohia Ancient Kingdom
Party Positions
Policy positions from the Labour Party (LP) party manifesto.
Environment & Climate
Will establish a Green Army to tap into $3 trillion in international climate finance for green growth, employment, and transition to a green economy.
Security & Defense
Committed to activating regional cooperation with neighboring countries (Niger, Chad, Cameroon) for border security and addressing cross-border crimes under the ECOWAS Protocol on Movement of Persons.
Governance & Reform
Will push for a policy on Common Regimentation Emolument Structure Table (CREST) to harmonize wages across federal public servants, military, and judiciary/academia, ensuring equal pay for comparable roles.
Reliefs and scholarships
Will criminalize non-payment of salaries/wages/pensions to address poverty, inequality, and enhance social solidarity through enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.
Agriculture
Will optimize agricultural value chains across all states via targeted investments to boost food security and advance agro-based industrialization, addressing banditry, kidnapping, desertification, and policy barriers.
Economy & Trade
Will implement radical economic reforms to drastically cut debt-servicing and debt-to-revenue ratios through aggressive fiscal policy adjustments, addressing high poverty (95M), unemployment (~32%), and low tax contribution (~6% of GDP).
Enterprise grant support
Will implement a mandatory national certification for blue-collar artisans and re-skilling programs to align youth skills with economic needs, including STEM training and a venture capital-like fund for entrepreneurs.
Anti-corruption
Will establish an Office of Special Counsel to investigate executive abuses, corruption, and bureaucratic concealments, exempting its prosecutions from Nolle Prosequi by the Attorney General.
Technology & Digital
Drive Nigeria’s transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution through digital economy initiatives, including scientific and technological innovation.
Energy
Fast-track gas flaring commercialisation (NGFCP) to increase gas utilization and reduce wastage by enforcing Domestic Gas Supply Obligations of oil/gas companies, implementing gas-to-power infrastructure with fiscal incentives, and lowering prices for embedded power generation.
Infrastructure
Will develop and complete a $2.3 billion Siemens deal to upgrade Nigeria’s power transmission grid, aiming for stable capacities of 7,000 MW by 2023, 11,000 MW by 2024, and 25,000 MW by 2025 through public-private partnerships.
Education
Overhauls funding access for UBEC and TETFund by removing bottlenecks, increasing transparency, and implementing a public-private partnership model where private corporations fund and manage schools (tax-in-kind).
Healthcare
Develop a comprehensive occupational mapping of Nigeria’s healthcare system to generate data on human capacity, reverse brain drain, and stop medical tourism by leveraging Diaspora healthcare expertise.
Foreign Policy
Will actively engage in sub-regional and regional forums to enhance Nigeria’s leadership role in African affairs through constructive dialogue on challenges.
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In The News
Sources
Bio, State of Origin: Wikipedia ↗
Date of Birth: Wikidata ↗