Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho: Portrait In Courage And Selfless Service (Profile)

Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho

The Delta Central Senatorial candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr. Ovie Emuejevoke Ughwanogho, MD, MBBS, is a medical consultant of global repute. A Fellow and Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease.

Dr. Ugwhanogho’s birth on 12 January 1970 was historic because it was the day the Nigerian Civil War ended. He is an intellectually resourceful, professionally accomplished and patriotic Nigerian who has devoted his life’s struggles to the good of humanity.

Education

He attended Aganbi Primary School, Eku, where he came up in the first position throughout his stay. He also emerged as the pupil with the best handwriting in the old Ethiope Local Government Area (now made up of Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Local Government Areas). He moved on to the highly cosmopolitan University Demonstration Secondary School in Port Harcourt where he again held the first position in academics throughout his stay in that competitive school. He distinguished himself in debate, drama, sports and earned distinctions in all the subjects in the West African School Certificate Examination of 1987. Ovie achieved all of these in spite of the death of his dear father when he was just six years.

He proceeded to the prestigious Government College, Ughelli, for the Higher School Certificate (HSC), but while there his academic exploit saw him not only passing the entrance examination of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, but also the Joint Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB) examination which got him admission to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Benin in 1988. While studying at the University of Benin, he distinguished himself in many ways as a scholar, student activist and cultural ambassador of the Urhobo nation. He obtained the MBBS in 1995.

The Quest for the Golden Fleece

Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho’s quest for advanced knowledge in Medicine saw him migrating to the United States of America where he underwent advanced professional training. He was admitted to the prestigious Mount Sinai University School of Medicine Hospital for specialty training in Internal Medicine. He passed the American Board of Medical Specialty in Internal Medicine, obtaining the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and becoming a consultant in Internal Medicine. He attended the highly rated New York State University School of Medicine Hospital to undergo specialization in Infectious diseases and passed the examination at fellowship level. Thus becoming double Board certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine obtaining licenses to practice medicine and surgery in New York and Georgia in 2002 and 2004 respectively.

Leadership and Selfless Service

Dr..Ovie Ughwanogho’s leadership and selfless bent manifested early in his life. He founded a Non-Governmental Organization called the Intellect Organization at the age of seventeen to inspire academic interest among youths in Urhoboland. The NGO not only organized debates and quiz competitions, but also gave tutorials (evening lessons) to secondary school students preparing for the West African School Certificate Examination and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.

His long and selfless service to Urhoboland includes his being the president of the National Union of Urhobo Students and National Union of Orogun Students at the University of Benin in the 1990s. He later served as a member of the central working committee of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) when Chief James Edewor was the union’s president-general.

The Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho Foundation (DOUF) which he founded has championed the development of Urhobo human capital by awarding scholarships, in some cases up to the doctoral level, to deserving students, sponsoring vocational and entrepreneurship training for Urhobo youths. He has renovated and built facilities for some schools and sponsored sporting events to develop Urhobo talents. He also sponsors the annual Urhobo Language Competition to ensure that the language does not go into extinction. It was in recognition of his selfless service to Urhoboland that he was conferred with the title of Ejoyovwi of Effurun-Otor and the Erukakpo of Orogun.

He is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Metro Infectious Disease Associates Inc. in Atlanta, USA. He has been a consultant to many hospitals in the US and a clinical instructor to many medical schools within and outside the US.

He is married with children.

Conclusion

With the foregoing, there is no doubt that Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho is well prepared to serve the Urhobo nation in the Nigerian Senate. His mantra has been the servant-leader model of legislative representation that is anchored on accountability. He has entered into a social contract with the Urhobo people who have had no competent representation in the Senate in recent times. Dr. Ughwanogho’s brilliance and erudite articulation will give Urhobo a positive voice in the Senate. His vast knowledge and global exposure will produce motions and bills. His selfless disposition will enable him bring democracy dividends in abundance to our people by way of projects and human empowerment. His international network will bring the world to Urhoboland and also take Urhobo to the world.

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My Vision

To evolve a legislative agenda for the well being of the Urhobo people and for national development.

My Mission

To awaken Urhobo consciousness by introducing a new deal through the servant-leader model of accountability and put the Urhobo nation on the path of a new beginning of quality representation and collective development.

My Manifesto

My manifesto encapsulates my raison d’ tre, as a lawmaker, which is to reframe the legislative agenda into a three pronged engagement of representation, lawmaking and oversight functions. In doing this, I have come up with an Eight-Point Agenda which shall be the touchstone of my mission in the Senate. The Eight-Point Agenda is enumerated as follows:

Employment Generation through

Mechanized agriculture

Creating ICT hubs

Industrialization

Establishment of modular refinery

Sponsorship of Bills

Environmental remediation

Electoral reforms

Restructuring and federalism

Social justice

Infrastructure

I shall be proactive in ensuring that infrastructural development is accelerated in our senatorial district with focus on the needs of our people as shown by the needs assessment I commissioned.

Servant-Leadership

I see my going to the Senate as a service to my people who are sending me there. I shall therefore, remain accessible and accountable to them, doing their wish and ensuring that their interest is protected at all times.

Urhobo Development Foundation

I wish to set up an Urhobo Development Foundation which will function like an interventionist agency. I conceive it as a pool of fund from which all aspects of Urhobo development will be supported.

Health Supports

I will promote health education among our people and introduce mobile clinics that will reach the remotest parts of our constituency to cater for the health of our people.

Power

I will take the necessary steps to ensure that the Urhobo nation enjoys adequate power supply in order to boost our quest for industrialization and promote small scale business.

Peace and Security

The entrenchment of peace and security shall be taken seriously in order to attract local and foreign investors to transform Urhoboland into a production hub.