By Adewole Kehinde
“Don’t just count your years, make your years count.”– George Meredith
Birthday celebrations are a wonderful way to show love and appreciation for someone special.
Remember, the most important aspect of a birthday celebration is to make the birthday person feel loved, appreciated and celebrated.
It’s the thought and effort you put into making them feel special that truly counts.
Here is the high profile of HRM Eze Dr. Goodluck Obi Odimegwu, (Jp),
His Royal Majesty, Eze (Dr.), Amb. Goodluck Odimegwu Obi FOSHA, FIMC, CMC, The Ofor 1 of Dim Ubulu-Ihejiofor Ancient Kingdom, Oru West, Imo State of Nigeria was born into the family of HRH Eze Ben Obi {OBE, MFR} and Ugo-Eze Violet Ben Obi. HRM Eze Goodluck Obi attended Santana Primary (Boarding )School, Awo-Romania and passed out in 1979, He got his West Africa School Certificate (WASC ) O Level from his father’s own school Comprehensive Secondary School Ubulu-Ihejiofor in 1986.
He obtained his Higher School Certificate, Advanced level from Government College Owerri in 1988, all in Imo State. He graduated from the premier university in Nigeria, the prestigious University of Ibadan in 1992 where he bagged his B.A Honours. As a student at the University of Ibadan, HRM enrolled for a Certificate Course in Family Life Issues and was awarded a Certificate in IEC on Family Life Issues by University College Hospital and University Health Services both of the University of Ibadan in 1992. HRM Eze Prince Goodluck Odimegwu Obi received the Kwara State and Offa L.G.A. Honours Award during his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 1992/1993 Session. In addition, he was honored as the Most Outstanding Corp Member in Offa L.G.A. and then the President of the Offa Corpers Association who brought a lot of developments during the Chairmanship of Alhaji Hassan Oyeyemi Oyeleke.
HRM has recorded an enviable pedigree of service as a Student and now as an alumnus of the University of Ibadan. Some of these exploits included but were not limited to being the Majority Leader of the whole School from Independence Hall Constituency,1990/1991 session, President of his Department. 1991/1992 session. As a committed and active member of UIAA Lagos Branch HRM has served in various positions including Financial Secretary, Chairman Book Donation Committee, Assistant Secretary, and currently second Vice Chairman amongst others.
He had an excellent result in his Masters Degree ( MSc )in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (PSCR ) and now his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies with a bias in insurgency and counter-insurgency. He had a post-Graduate Certificate in SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING with speciality on Happiness and Gratitude from the prestigious Yale University in the far away United States of America ( USA.) As if this laurel from Yale University is not enough HRM also obtained another Certificate in FEMINISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE from the celebrated University of California SANTA CRUZ still in the United States of America.
HRM, Eze Goodluck Odimegwu Obi is the founder and president of Global Alert for the Defense of Youth and the Less Privileged {GADYLP} and the Convener, United Nations of Youth Network Nigeria {UNOY} Through his devotion and hard work both NGOs had Special Consultative Status with United Nations Economic and Social Council {ECOSOC} New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi, Observer status with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change {UNFCCC}, Bonn, Germany, Observer status with United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification {UNCCD} Bonn Germany. The organizations are registered with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime {UNODC} in Vienna, Austria.
They are also registered locally with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission {ICPC} and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC} HRM is also the founder and Convener Centre for Civil Society and Justice (CCSJ ) which has recorded monumental exploits in areas of Human Rights, Justice, Equality, Dignity of the human person, Peace and Conflict Resolution etc nationally and in the diaspora.
HRM was a long-time associate of the Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN, SAM, GCON ) from his University days at the Premier University of Ibadan as the Majority Leader of the School (1990 /1991 ) As a student union leader at Unibadan they benefited immensely from Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi as he took care of all our court cases with the University Authority Free of charge. To the credit of Chief Fawehinmi, some of us that would have been expelled or rusticated by the School Authorities were discharged and acquitted unconditionally. Upon the formation of Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s National Conscience (NC) in early 1994 he joined the organization till it was launched on October 1 1994 as National Conscience Party (NCP) Till today his membership and leadership in the party have been solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Besides his full involvement in Chief Fawehinmi’s Party, he was the Lagos State Chairman of Gani Fawehinmi Solidarity Association for 8 years. Even in Campaign for Democracy (CD) a foremost pro-democracy movement HRM has carved a niche for himself because he was at various times the Lagos State Chairman of CD, South West Zonal Chairman of CD and the National Secretary of CD as the case may be.
HRM has travelled to almost all the continents in the course of his work as a Development Professional cum Human Rights Practitioner for over two decades. One of these countries is the United States of America, (USA).United Kingdom (UK,) Germany, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Togo, Brazil. México, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, India, Jordan, Turkey, Poland, Tunisia, Morocco, Brazil, Spain, Niger, Chad, Qatar, South Africa, China, Norway, Ethiopia, Belgium, France, Canada, Libya, etc.
He has received hundreds of awards including but not limited to the United Nations ICT Ambassador of Peace in 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland, Award of Recognition by Civil Society on HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, Role Model Award for Youths by African Youth Initiative on Crime Prevention in 2018, Award of Honour and Integrity, National Conscience Party in 2018, Role Model Award Recipient of the #Ekiti Project Vote 2018, Ambassador of Conscience in USA 2015, Star award of Integrity by Africans in Diaspora 2018 in USA, Kindness Ambassador by World Kindness Movement and World Kindness Nigeria 31st July 2019, etc.
He has presented so many lectures and has been a speaker in so many fields at one time or the other.
HRM Eze Goodluck Obi is a Fellow of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, {FOSHA}, United Kingdom, He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants {FIMC}, Awarded a license to operate as a Management Consultant to over fifty countries including but not limited to USA, Canada South Africa, Switzerland ( CMC ) etc. He is a member, of the Association of Reproductive Health Practitioners {ARHP} USA, a Member, the Green Economy Institute (GEI ) United Kingdom; He is an Independent Director of Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank Plc. (NPMB)
He will be receiving another Fellowship award very soon ( 2019 ) from the Institute of Criminal Justice and Criminology Administration {ICJCA}.
He is the Convener of Nigeria Police interface with the Civil Society. He had participated actively in Nigeria’s secular politics including being the National Deputy Chairman of the National Conscience Party {NCP} South East founded by the foremost human rights activist and the iconic legal luminary Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAM, SAN, GCON.) He was SSA to the Lord Mayor of Amuwo-Odofin LGA Lagos State Lord Mayor Ayodele Adewale on foreign affairs and Civil Society matters in 2007 and 2011 respectively and many more.
Because of the monumental achievements recorded by HRM as we can see from the above, Eze Amb Goodluck Odimegwu Obi will be conferred with the Honourary Doctorate Degree Award HONORIS CAUSA (D.Sc.Hons.), in Law and Justice Administration by the revered and prestigious European-American University (EAU)in Commonwealth of Dominica.
HRM, Eze Goodluck Odimegwu Obi is happily married to Her Royal Majesty Ugo-Eze {Engr.} Prisca Obi and they are blessed with children.
In concluding this piece one can paraphrase the immortal words of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) when he said: That the elements are so mixed in HRM Eze Dr. (Ambassador) Goodluck Odimegwu Obi that nature might stand up and say to the whole world HRM is a man.
CHEERS AND CONGRATULATIONS ONYE EZE
