JohnBosco Obinna Onunkwo (born October 31, 1975) is an oil and gas expert, presently a Global Maintenance Engineer at the Nigeria Agip Oil Company.[1] He is reported to be a billionaire businessman.[2] He is the Anambra Coordinator of Good Governance Ambassadors of Nigeria (GOGAN), a Non-Governmental Organization.[3] He is also the founder of the Coalition of Support Groups for Asiwaju/Shettima (COSGAS), an 800,000-member group which was popular among youths and women in Nigeria and which was a coalition of many smaller support groups.[4][5] Onunkwo contested twice (2017 and 2021) under Nigeria's ruling political party, All Progressives Congress for the post of Governor of Anambra State, Nigeria.[6][7][8] He is also noted for his Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation which provided thousands of hand sanitizers and pieces of nose masks as protective kits to Nigerians during the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.[9][10] The Foundation also built a Lawn Tennis Court for sportspeople in Anambra State [11] and also contributes in many other interventions.[12][13][14] He is a registered member of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).[1]
Engineer JohnBosco Onunkwo | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 31, 1975 |
| Education | Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, B.Eng.(Electrical/Electronics and Computer Engineering, Second Class Honours (Upper Division)) |
| Known for | Humanitarian services (providing thousands of protective kits during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020); Philanthropy |
Early life and education
editOnunkwo was born on October 31, 1975. He hails from Umuchu town in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended Union Primary School, Adazi-Nnukwu, where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1985.[1][4] He proceeded to St. Teresa's College, Nsukka and graduated in 1991. Onunkwo gained admission into the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics and Computer Engineering, Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in 1997.[1][4]
Career
editHe became employed in the Nigeria Agip Oil Company as Assistant Global Maintenance Engineer from 2004 to 2007; Production Officer (from 2007 to 2008); Maintenance and Rotating Equipment Engineer (2008); Maintenance Engineer (from 2011 to 2019) and finally as Senior Maintenance Engineer in Production Operations Department from 2020 to the present.[1] Onunkwo vied into politics at a relatively young age as founding member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He was All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Aspirant, Anambra State Governorship Election, 2017; House of Representatives Aspirant for Aguata Federal Constituency, 2019; APC Guber Aspirant, Anambra Governorship Election, 2021;[15][16] and, APC House of Representatives Candidate for Aguata Federal Constituency, 2023.[1][17] He founded Coalition of Support Groups for Asiwaju/Shettima (COSGAS). This group went down to the grassroots across Nigeria and produced considerable support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Chief Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections in Nigeria.[4] This support from COSGAS, along with others, reportedly led to the emergence of Chief Bola Tinubu as the President of Nigeria and Alhaji Kashim Shettima as the Vice President.[18][4]
Humanitarian services
editThrough the Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation, a group he founded in 2016, Onunkwo handled many interventions, including training 500 youths to eradicate poverty;[19] providing thousands of protective kits to Nigerians during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020;[9] and so many others.[20][21][22] He has served as Chairman of the Rotary Club Foundation in Nigeria and twice as Chairman of the Installation Planning Committee of the Rotary Club of Port-Harcourt Central.[4] On December 4, 2020, Johnbosco Onunkwo donated a gigantic complex at Onitsha for the Archbishop Valerian Okeke Music Academy (AVOMA).[23]
Membership
editOnunkwo is a member of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).[1] He is also a Certified Fellow, Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria (2017); Certified Member, The Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria (2018); Member, Certified Institute of Purchasing and Supply Administrators of Nigeria (2019); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria (2019); Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (2019); and member, Institute of Professional Entrepreneurs and Strategic Administrators of Nigeria (2020).[1]
Honours
editHe was awarded "the most outstanding Oil and Gas Personality for 2022" by Daily Champion Newspapers for his experience in engineering, politics and philanthropy.[24] Onunkwo was also honoured with being the Grand Patron of Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing (Worldwide).[1] He was awarded the Outstanding Humanitarian of the Year 2018 by New Telegraph;[4] He also received the Top10 Magazine's "Political Mobilizer of the Year" award in appreciation of his successful efforts to position COSGAS as the main organization assisting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in winning the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.[4] He was also awarded the Democracy Heroes Award 2019.[25][26]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "CURRICULUM VITAE OF JOHNBOSCO OBINNA ONUNKWO.docx". Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Nigeria, Guardian (2021-04-10). "Anambra Billionaires meet to trim Nnewi Guber aspirants". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Adeyeye, Seun (2018-12-02). "GOGAN drums support for Buhari's re-election". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h top10admin (2023-11-24). "THE TOP10 MAGAZINE EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2023: Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, National President/Convener (COSGAS),Political Mobiliser of the Year". The Top10 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Iorchir, Donald (2022-11-30). "2023: 200 support groups pledge 10m votes for Tinubu". Blueprint Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "Anambra gov'ship: Youth urge Onunkwo to contest - Daily Trust". Daily Trust. 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Candle, Paschal (January 2, 2021). "Just in: Onunkwo declares interest in Anambra Gubernatorial election under APC". Vanguard Nigeria.
- ^ Kwen, James (June 10, 2021). "My emergence will end APGA in Anambra – APC guber aspirant, Onunkwo". Business Day (Nigeria).
- ^ a b "Covid-19: Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation donates medical kits to Ndi Anambra". The Sun (Nigeria). March 29, 2020.
- ^ "Covid-19: Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation Donates Medical Kits To Ndi Anambra | Independent Newspaper Nigeria". 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Ngige, Ekwunife, others grace commissioning of Onunkwo Tennis Court". The Sun (Nigeria). March 2, 2020.
- ^ Abejide, Grace (2019-12-27). "Foundation donates 4,300 bags of rice to APC supporters in Anambra". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Johnbosco Onunkwo Donates Centre For Skills Acquisition and Training To Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder - Daily News Reporters". Daily News Reporters - Voice of the Southeast. 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Lashem, Favour (2024-07-19). "APC chieftain distributes over 1,000 bags of fertiliser to Anambra farmers". News Diary Online. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ Olowoporoku, Muhaimin. "Billionaire, Onunkwo set to contest Anambra gubernatorial election". P.M. News.
- ^ Ezimakor, Tony (June 9, 2023). "I Hold Password For APC's Success In Anambra – Onunkwo". Independent Nigeria.
- ^ "Full List of 2023 Presidential, Vice Presidential Candidates". Premium Times (Nigeria). Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Tinubu, man full of capacity, we trust him – Onunkwo". Vanguard (Nigeria). June 7, 2023.
- ^ "500 Anambra youths to attend training on poverty eradication - Daily Trust". Daily Trust. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Rapheal (2024-08-07). "Onunkwo gives succour to Anambra women". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Ibeh, Ifeanyi (2024-07-26). "Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation distributes fertilisers to Anambra women farmers". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "JohnBosco Onunkwo Foundation Distributes 1,000 Bags Of Fertilizer In Anambra – Independent Newspaper Nigeria". 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "ONITSHA: Johnbosco Onunkwo donates Gigantic Complex to Archbishop Valerian Okeke Music Academy - 9News Nigeria". 2020-12-24. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ "Champion Newspapers' 2022 Awards hold tomorrow". Daily Champion. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Nwafor (2019-10-17). "Engr Onunkwo, Abdullahi Sule, FCT Minister bag awards". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ Nigeria, Politics (2019-10-17). "Engr. Johnbosco, Gov. Abdullahi Sule, FCT Minister, Others Bag Democracy Heroes Award 2019". Politics Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-10-07.