Usani Uguru Usani

Usani Uguru Usani is a preacher of the gospel and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in the Nigerian government.[1]

Early life and education

Usani was born on 27 January 1961 in Nko, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State. He is married with children.

Usani attended Government Primary School, Nko, St. Brendan’s Secondary School, Iyamoyong, Obubra LGA, University of Jos, Plateau State; University of Calabar, Cross River State; Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. Usani holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management, a Masters in Business Administration, a Master of Philosophy in Environmental Management, a Masters in Globalization & Development and is currently a PhD student at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State.

Career

Usani served on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a secondary school teacher in Government Science Secondary School, Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. After the NYSC scheme, he was employed as a Secondary School Teacher from August, 1988–January, 1992 in Community Secondary School, Iko-Esai and Secondary School, Adim, all of Cross River State. From February, 1992 to November, 1993, Usani served in the Office of the Governor of Cross River State as Personal assistant to Governor Clement Ebri on Speech Writing and Policy Analysis,[2] at the same time as Secretary, Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) Relief Committee (a government agenda programme to alleviate the effects of Structural Adjustment Programmes) with added responsibility of Legislative Liaison matters. Within the same period, he was appointed as the Sole Administrator of the Nigerian Legion, Cross River State Command. Between 1994 and 1995, he was appointed as Director Oban (Nigeria) Rubber and Palm Estates Limited.

In July, 1995, Usani was appointed Commissioner in Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, Cross River State under Military Administrator Gregory Agboneni; in November 1995, the portfolio was enlarged to include Information duties. In February 1997, in a cabinet dissolution and reconstitution, he was reappointed to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development under Military Administrator Umar Farouk Ahmed where he served untill 1999, after serving with Christopher Osondu, the last Military Administrator of Cross River State. From January, 2001–January, 2004, he was appointed as member of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Copyrights Commission.

From September, 2004–2006 Usani lectured at the London Academy of Management Sciences, Ilford, Essex, where, as a lecturer, he offered lectures in a variety of courses to Business undergraduates, MBA students and professional candidates of ABE and ACCA. The scope of his lectures covered Decision Making Techniques, Human Resource Management, Change Management, Administrative Systems and Processes, Organizational Management and Introduction to Business. He also taught, on a part-time basis, in the London Academy of Higher Education, Stratford, London.

Between July 2014 and November 2015, he was elected the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River State.

In November 2015, Usani was appointed by President Mohammadu Buhari into the Nigerian Federal Executive Council as the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Together with Prof. Claudius Daramola, the Honourable Minister of State, they have led the Ministry in fulfilling the Ministry’s mandate. Some of the recent strides include a Technical Audit Report[3] of projects from the Ministry’s inception and a baseline study of the social and infrastructure resource base of the region[4] (aided by the UNDP) has been conducted. The Niger Delta Action Plan has been revisited. Several young people have been empowered in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and various skills acquisition programmes in Agriculture, Maritime and Information and Communication Technology. Various partnerships with international organizations and agencies are in progress. In the month of November, Usani was mandated by the Nigerian Presidency to inaugurate the board, and subsequently supervize the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as part of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs' statutory duties.[5]

Usani has contested the seat of Governorship of Cross River State twice; in the 2003 general elections under the platform of National Democrats, in which Donald Duke got his second term bid to govern, and in 2012 under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in which Liyel lmoke got his second term bid.

January 2001, Gregory Agboneni and former Chief of the General Staff and former Vice President, Lt-General Oladipo Diya were named at a Commission in Port Harcourt as having allegedly tried to forestall prosecution of Usani for a murder committed in May 1996.[6]

Since his indictment no govenment nor individual, in spite of the forceful role Usani has played in the opposition for over 15years, (especially against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party) has successfully charged him to court. Rather, he has only been subjected to media trial and prosecution over a crime he says he never committed. Usani has never been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

References

  1. ↑ "Minister says FG has mobilised Port Harcourt - Onne road contractors". Pulse Nigeria. 14 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Man Usani Uguru Usani, Cross River Ministerial Nominee". crossriverwatch.com. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  3. ↑ siteadmin (2016-08-23). "Six Years Of Waste: How Niger Delta Ministry Blew N800b Between 2009 And 2015". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  4. ↑ User, Super. "SYNERGY AND COLLABORATION NEEDED TO ADDRESS SOCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL CHALLENGES IN NIGER DELTA REGION- USANI". nigerdelta.gov.ng. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  5. ↑ "Ministry inaugurates new NDDC board". Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  6. ↑ Ahamefula Ogbu and Chuks Akunna (2001-01-18). "Alleged Murder: Petitioner Accuses Diya, Agboneni of Cover-up". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
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