Achike Udenwa

Achike Udenwa Biography / Profile

Chief (Dr.) Achike Uzoma Udenwa was born in the ancient town of Amaifeke, in Orlu local government area of Imo State, Nigeria on October 20th, 1948 to Pa Johnson and Felicia Udenwa. He was a two-term governor of Imo State between May 1999 and May 2007.

Achike Udenwa Age

Achike Udenwa is 76 years old.

Achike Udenwa Early Life

Udenwa attended Sacred Heart Primary School, Onitsha, Anambra State, where he excelled in the First School Leaving Certificate Examination with distinction in 1961. Thereafter, he gained admission into the prestigious Government College, Umuahia, Abia State, where he equally shone like a star with grade One in the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1966 and proceeded for the two-year Higher School Certificate programme which was cut short by the Nigerian Civil war. He was later to join the Biafran Army rising to the rank of captain by 1970 when the war ended.

After the war, an enigmatic Udenwa who had previously lost his dear father could not be deterred as he enrolled at the famous College of Technology, now Institute of Management Technology, Enugu to study Accountancy. It was there his leadership qualities were discovered as he was elected Secretary of the students union of the institution.

Achike Udenwa Career

Upon graduation, in 1972, Udenwa joined the then Standard Bank, now First Bank of Nigeria and later transferred to the African Continental Bank, ACB. He was later to join Peat Marwick, Casseleton Elliot and company, one of the largest and best firm of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria. In 1983, he joined the Monnier Construction Company Nigeria Limited, MCC, as financial controller. He was later promoted to General Manager, Finance, thus becoming the highest ranking African in the multinational organization.

Despite all these accolades in his professional field, the hunger to serve and improve the lives of his people propelled him to join politics. On May 29th, 1999, he was sworn in as governor of Imo State under the People's Democratic Party, and was re-elected for a second term in 2003. In May 2007, he was succeeded by Chief Ikedi Ohakim. In December 2008, he was appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry by former president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. He served in that capacity until March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet.

In August 2016, thee Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested the former Governor in connection with an alleged campaign scandal committed during the 2015 presidential election. Udenwa, as a State coordinator for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organization in Imo State, was said to have collected the sum of N3.5m from the former senator representing Kaduna South and Director of Finance for the PDP presidential campaign organization, Nenadi Usman.

Achike Udenwa Personal Life

Udenwa is married to Prof. Mrs. Theresa Agbonma Udenwa, a highly accomplished academician who holds a bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (1980), Masters in Business Administration and Finance, University of Port Harcourt (1989), Masters in Economics, University of Port Harcourt (1996) and a doctorate degree in Banking and Finance from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (2007).