Azuka Okwuosa (born 3 November 1959), is a Nigerian

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

who served as the

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State ...

Commissioner for Works and Transport from 1999 to 2001. He was a governorship aspirant in the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election representing

All Progressives Congress The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the ...

Early life and education

Okwuosa was born in Jos,

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

, Nigeria. He started his education at All Saints Primary School, Irefi, Oraifite,

, where he received his First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC in 1973. He preceded to Colliery Comprehensive Secondary School,

Ngwo Ngwo is a town located in the south-eastern state of Enugu, Nigeria, with a population of about 100,000 people. The towns native population are of Igbo ethnicity. History Ngwo people descended from the man called Ngwu-Ako who lived at a place n ...

Enugu State Enugu State ( ig, Ȯra Enugu) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the south, and Anambra State to the west. T ...

, Nigeria, where he received his

West African Senior School Certificate Examination The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. It is administered by the West A ...

and

General Certificate of Education The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish ed ...

in 1977. He furthered to

Institute of Management Technology, Enugu The Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, popularly known as IMT Enugu, is a polytechnic college located in Enugu State, Nigeria. The state-owned Institute of Management and Technology is a polytechnic school that was founded in 1965. The ...

, where he received an OND in fine and applied arts in 1981. In 1983, he received an HND in graphics arts/advertising. He graduated from Samuel Bible Institute, Lagos State with a diploma in theology in 1998. He did his mandatory

National Youth Service Corps The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. There is no military conscription in Nigeria, ...

at Tide Newspaper, Port Harcourt,

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...

, Nigeria from 1983 to 1984.

Career

Okwuosa became an industrial attaché in Government Press, Enugu, immediately after his OND, from 1981 to 1982. During that time, he founded a company, Nimex Leads Limited, Enugu.

Political career

Okwuosa was mentored by

C. Odumegwu Ojukwu Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 1933 – 26 November 2011) was a Nigerian military officer, statesman and politician who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966 and the president of the se ...

, whom he worked for, from 1984 to 1994. He started his political career, serving as the chairman of Nnewi local government council (now,

Ekwusigo Ekwusigo is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, south-central Nigeria. Towns that make up the local government are Ozubulu, Oraifite, Ichi and Ihembosi. Schools Here is the list of secondary schools in Ekwusigo Local Government Area: * Comm ...

and

Nnewi North Nnewi North is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, south-central Nigeria. Nnewi is the only town in Nnewi North LGA. It has four villages (sub-towns) that make up the one-town local government, which includes; Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim and Nnewi- ...

local government areas) from 1994 to 1996. In 1999, the then governor of Anambra State,

Chinwoke Mbadinuju Chinwoke Mbadinuju (born 14 June 1945) was Governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003, elected on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform. Early life and education Chinwoke Mbadinuju was born on 14 June 1945. H ...

appointed him as the Commissioner for Works and Transport and he served till 2001. From 2002 to 2010, he was the secretary-general of the South-East Development Initiative. In 2007, during the 2007 Nigeria general elections, he contested as a senatorial candidate of the

All Progressives Grand Alliance The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is a political party in Nigeria. Electoral history At the legislative elections held on 12 April 2003, the party won 1.4% of popular votes and 2 of 360 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeri ...

for Anambra South Senatorial zone which he lost. He challenged his loss at the election petitions tribunal for two years, and then to the court of appeal, Enugu State, where he won the case. The election was nullified and a by-election was conducted in 2009, where he lost. He was a member of the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

from 1999 to 2003, a former member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the

Action Congress of Nigeria The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a Nigerian political party formed via the merger of a faction of Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several othe ...

. He is currently a member of the ruling

Personal life

Okwuosa is from Umunzalu kindred, Umueshi Irefi, Oraifite, Ekwusigo, Anambra State, Nigeria. He is a knight of the Anglican Church. His father was an ex-serviceman, while his mother was a teacher.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okwuosa, Azuka Living people 1959 births People from Anambra State All Progressives Congress politicians Anambra State politicians Nigerian political candidates Commissioners of ministries of Anambra State Institute of Management Technology, Enugu alumni