Jump to content

User:Nelson Chidi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ONYEKA PETER NWEBONYI Chief Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi is a Nigerian politician and a lawyer by profession. He was born on July 4, 1981, in Mbeke-Ishieke, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

He studied law at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and the Nigerian Law School, Kano Campus where he obtained his LLB in 2006 and BL in 2007 respectively. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar on 13th of November 2007. He started his legal practice with a stint at Ogodo Ogodo Chambers in Abakaliki Ebonyi State, southeast of Nigeria before he founded his own law firm, Eziokwu Bu Ndu Chambers which later transformed to P.O. Nwebonyi and Co.

During his university days, Nwebonyi was elected the president of National Association of Ebonyi State Students (NAESS) in 2004 and president, Law Student Association (LAWSA), Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki in 2005.

Nwebonyi was elected a zonal ex-officio member of the People's Democratic Party, PDP (one of the leading political parties in Nigeria), in the Southeast Zone in 2007. In 2015, he was appointed the Coordinator of Mbeke Development Centre, a subdivision of the local government areas created by governor Sam Egwu's administration in Ebonyi State. In 2016, he was elected the State Chairman of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State Chapter.

He served out his first tenure as the State Chairman of the PDP and won a second term in office. He later resigned his position as the state chairman as well as his membership of the PDP to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC following the defection of Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi from the main opposition party, PDP to the ruling APC. Consequent upon his defection from the PDP, he was appointed Commissioner for Capital City and Urban Development by the governor of Ebonyi State.

As commissioner, Barr. Nwebonyi facilitated the relocation of the Abakaliki Building Materials Market to the new site which is more expansive and strategically located off the city centre for ease of doing business. He also conceptualized and implemented the centralization of motor parks in the state capital to ease traffic, guaranty security and safety of commuters, checkmate the inflow of criminal elements to the state, and as well, boost commercial activities in the state capital especially the St. Margaret Umahi International Market, Abakaliki. He doggedly braved the odds to sanitize the state capital of indiscriminate building and commercial activities that brought about what people termed stress-free ambience in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

In early 2022, Barr. Nwebonyi resigned as commissioner and member of Ebonyi State Executive Council to contest the senatorial seat of Ebonyi North Senatorial District, under the Platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Subsequently, he won the February 25th National Assembly Election with a wide margin to emerge the senator-elect for Ebonyi North Senatorial District. He defeated Dr. Sam Egwu of PDP, a second time serving senator, a former Nigerian minister for education, and a two term governor of Ebonyi State.

Onyekachi Nwebonyi, as he is alternatively called, (Onyeka is a short form of Onyekachi, which means "who is greater than God" in Igbo Language) is known for his avuncular and philanthropic lifestyle. Among many philanthropic gestures to his credit are the training of over forty persons in tertiary institutions as well as scholarships and bursaries to hundreds of students from his area and beyond. He is given to building houses for people who have poor shelter, especially widows, and he had built well over forty bungalows for people across the state. That gesture earned him the moniker, Oji Ulo Eme Ogo" (one who gifts houses). He pays medical bills of many poor people in his area who he came in contact with that could not afford medical treatments.

He is married to Mrs. Elizabeth Nwebonyi and their marriage is blessed with four children; three boys and a girl.