Citation of Barrister Obinna Augustus Amagwula

by Fred Nwaozor
BRIEF PROFILE OF SIR HONOURABLE BARRISTER OBINNA AUGUSTUS AMAGWULA (KSJI), THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF IMO BOARD OF INTERNAL REVENUE (BIR) ON LANDS, OCDA AND EMBLEM

Truly, some are born great, others achieve greatness, whilst others still have greatness thrust upon them. But rarely do we have these three attributes combined so well in an individual, as in the case in our Awardee here present.

I mean none other than Hon. Barr. Obinna Augustus Amagwula: chartered lawyer; staunch member, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Chairman, A.O. Amagwula & Co. Chambers, Abuja; Principal Counsel, Destiny Law Chambers, Owerri; quintessential politician; humility personified; proactive leader par excellence; as well as a worthy, tested and trusted General Manager.

Born at Umuezike in Awo-Omamma, Oru East Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State on the 24^th October 1974 to the family of Chief & Lolo Richard Ihekweaba Amagwula. He had his early upbringing in Imo State. He attended the famous Santana Primary Boarding School, Awo-Omamma. Thereafter proceeded to Bonus Pastor Seminary, Osina Ideato; and later concluded his secondary education at St. Mary’s Catholic Seminary Umuowa, Orlu, where he sat for his Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and came out with flying colours to the delight of his parents and well-wishers. While in the latter, he obtained a diploma certificate in Latin.

Due to his brilliant performance at the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, in 1997, he got admission in the University of Calabar (UniCal) Cross River State, to study Law, having obtained Diploma in Public Administration in the same institution. In 2002, as God would have it, he graduated with an excellent grade, which granted him the opportunity to be admitted in the impeccable Nigeria Law School, Abuja in 2004; a programme he equally finished with flying colours. Afterwards, he proceeded for his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, which took place in Nasarawa State, where he held the position of the President of Catholic Corpers Association, Keffi.

In 2005, the young and exuberant Obinna Amagwula was called to the Nigerian Bar; a ritual that gave him the mandate to practise as a recognized lawyer in any Nigerian court situated anywhere across the federation.

Like his educational career, Barr. Obinna Amagwula’s work experience spans a wide but impressive range. He started his Law profession with Chancellery Law Chambers Abuja as the Head of Administration. In 2009, he established a functional law chamber, A.O Amagwula Chambers, in Abuja to enable him and his teeming colleagues carryout their respective functions effectively; a venture that has taken him to numerous places both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, because of his distinguished attributes.

Furthermore, in 2017, he went further to institute another Law Chamber - Destiny Partners - in Owerri, Imo State.

Barr. Amagwula, who is the Chairman of Coalition of Imo State Indigenes Lawyers based in Abuja, the Imo State Coordinator of All Awo-Omamma Indigenes Lawyers, and the first Notary public from Awo-Omamma in Oru East LGA, was a member of the Counsel that brought victory to the amiable Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, at the Apex court, Supreme Court precisely, by the special grace of God.

In 2003, he was a Councillorship candidate in Awo Ward I under the auspices of All Nigerians People’s Party (ANPP), now defunct. As a distinguished politician, on Thursday January 23, 2014, he was inaugurated as the Transition Committee (TC) Chairman of Oru East LGA; an inauguration that was long awaited by the entire people of the area due to the implicit respect they have for his person.  

Within a short time in office as the TC-Chairman of Oru East, he successfully restored peace among the then divided leaders, as well as the entire members of the council, by continually calling for reconciliation cum solidarity talks amongst the concerned people. Also, he duly completed a befitting hall with office apartments at the council headquarters - Omuma, which was named “Owelle Rochas Okorocha Hall”; just to mention but a few.

As a result of his exemplary performance as the TC Chairman, during one of the solidarity visits of his Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha at the area, the Governor pronounced before the public that Barr. Amagwula was ‘A son in whom he was well pleased’. He remained in the position till September 2014 when he resigned from office owing to his long-nurtured ambition to vie for a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly to represent the constituents of Oru-East LGA.

Same year, he was recognized as the Director on INEC Affairs, Rochas Campaign Organisation (RCO). A position he held till 2015 when His Excellency was reelected for a second time in office as the Executive Governor of Imo State. Consequently, later that year (2015), he was returned as the Transition-Committee (TC) Chairman of Oru-East L.G.A. During this period, he ensured that some communities in the council that were yet to boast of electricity supply, such as Ubahaeze clan in Awo-Omamma, were duly electrified by providing the required facilities including transformers, high-tension wires, electric poles, and what have you. He meritoriously served in the position until in November 2016 when the amiable Governor thought it wise to place him in a more critical and sensitive position, thus he was appointed as the General Manager (GM) of the revered Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) having found him worthy beyond reasonable doubts.

As the GM of the revered OCDA, within a shortest time frame, successfully introduced obvious countless projects and initiatives. The staff strength of the OCDA boosted to the peak; workers and pensioners of the agency were paid promptly; Mobile Courts were instituted to instantly prosecute offenders without much ado; the wrong perception of the public towards the agency was completely dropped owing to the various media avenues initiated by his leadership to keep the general public abreast of happenings from time to time; teamwork was treated as a top priority among the Management Staff. Within few weeks of his stay, he single-handedly composed and initiated the 'OCDA Anthem on Humility'.  

Barr. Obinna Amagwula invariably led in rigorous field inspections almost on a daily basis. Under his watch, Site Development Permit was issued to land developers cum prospective landlords within a few weeks interval provided the site in question was approvable by law. As a compassionate gentleman and one who works in line with the doctrines of the Rescue Mission Administration led by Owelle Rochas Okorocha, in the spirit of the 2017 Easter Celebration, the OCDA – under the auspices of “OCDA Workers’ Humanitarian Initiative (OWHI)” – specially celebrated the season with various indigent men and women across the length and breadths of Owerri Capital Territory, particularly the rural areas; a gesture that was testified by the Traditional Rulers of the benefited Autonomous Communities as the first of its kind.

As a leader who truly understands the essence of stomach infrastructure, towards saving the OCDA workers the day-to-day stress of covering distance to have their lunch, he ensured that a standard Staff Canteen was established on the premises of the agency. Above all, as a man who has penchant for public opinion and constructive criticisms, he operates an unequalled open-door administration at all times; a pattern of leadership that is relentlessly speaking for his person in every nook and cranny within the shores of Imo State and beyond.

In further recognition to his ebullient and outstanding achievements in OCDA, in June 2017, he was elevated by His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha to a post of the Deputy Chairman of the Imo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Lands, OCDA and Emblem. It would amaze you to note that Barr. Amagwula, in his usual brilliant and unique way, has already swung into action without much ado as he presently occupies his newest political position.

Hon. Barr. Obinna Augustus Amagwula is affiliated to various professional and social societies both indigenous and foreign, including:

v Member, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

v Secretary General, Awo-Omamma Patriotic Union, Abuja (2011 - 2015).

v Principal Partner, A.O. Amagwula & Co. Chambers, Abuja.
v Principal Partner, Destiny Law Chambers, Owerri

v Pioneer Chairman, Imo Indigenes’ Lawyers Association, Abuja (2012 - 2016).

v Imo State Coordinator, Awo-Omamma Indigenes’ Lawyers.

v Founder, Awo-Omamma Project.

v State Development Coordinator (SDC), Awo-Omamma Ward-I, Oru East LGA.

v Patron, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oru East Chapter.

v Founder, OCDA Workers’ Humanitarian Initiative (OWHI)

As a practising Christian and devoted Catholic, during his study period at the Nigerian Law School – Abuja, he was unanimously recognized and as well conferred by both the Chaplain and the entire congregation of Seat of Wisdom Catholic Chaplaincy Abuja, as the Catechist of the Chaplaincy; a honour he held throughout the period of his studentship.

A widely travelled, symbolic politician, remarkable lawyer and highly refined personality, Barr. Obinna Amagwula is essentially a peace-loving, kind-hearted motivator, and a conscience-driven figure. Inter alia, he is an epitome of humility. This is why he’s blessed with a God-fearing, lovely and loving wife, Nneoma Coleth Ugonna Amagwula (Nee Chukwu) from Ohuba Awo-Omamma; and the lovable marriage is currently blessed with four kids namely, Uchenna, Adanna, Ikenna and Olanna, respectively.

It was indeed the overall antecedents, contributions and potentials of this Legal Luminary and politician par excellence, Honourable Barrister Augustus Obinna Amagwula that motivated the Parish Priest and his assistants, Parish Council members, and the entire parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church (CKC) Awo-Omamma in Oru East LGA to confer on him a remarkable and memorable Award of Excellence, “Pillar of the Church”, on Easter Monday 21^st April 2014. Still based on his commitment and countless contributions to the church and humanity, on Sunday, 26th November 2017, the perfect gentleman was graciously initiated into the Knighthood of Saint John International (KSJI); a honour which his teeming fans and well-wishers described as long overdue.

He was further decorated with an exemplary leadership Award of Honour by the Rotary International District 9140, in 2014. In 2017, he was honoured with a distinguished award of Excellence in Leadership by the Imo State University (IMSU) Debating Union, an affiliate of the British Parliamentary Forum. His exemplary contributions in the traditional sector attracted a Chieftaincy title - Chimeremeze I - to his name; a honour destowed on him in 2014 by Ezi-Awo I Ancient Kingdom in Awo-Omamma, Oru-East LGA.

Subsequently, in April 2017, he was honoured with an Award of Integrity as ‘Service Ambassador’ by a reputable Abuja-based NGO, Centre for Peace and Self-Value Re-Orientation. On Friday 12^th May 2017, he was equally decorated with an Award of Excellence in Service to Humanity by the IMSU Law Students Association (LAWSA); coupled with other countless remarkable awards he has bagged both in the past and present.

                                                

COMRADE FRED NWAOZOR

Media Adviser to the Deputy Chairman
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frednwaozor@gmail.com, +2348028608056