WHY I WAS CONFERRED WITH OGBUEFI CHIEFTAINCY TITLE”—PROFESSOR VIVIEN OJADI REVEALS

WHY I WAS CONFERRED WITH OGBUEFI CHIEFTAINCY TITLE”—PROFESSOR VIVIEN OJADI REVEALS

On Saturday 30th December 2023 the Oil and gas rich City of Egwe in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo state was agog for the most cherished traditional Igbuefi ceremony of United States of America USA based Professor Vivien Ogochukwu Ojadi, a Chartered Accountant, erudite Professor of Accounting and Finance. She is a seasoned management guru and banker. She also has a sound background and experience of International Development having been sought at some point by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded programs and also led teams in European Union Development Fund projects. International organizations have tapped from her wealth of Managerial expertise in the development of global Goals in infrastructure and Human capital development in Nigeria. Her Scholarly services span across both universities in the United Kingdom and United States of America where she remains one of the special female personalities that is contributing in intellectual training of the younger generation.

 The Ear Witness Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Emeka Amaefula (+234(0)8111813069) was at Oguta (Egwe) where Professor Vivien Ogochukwu Ojadi was conferred with Ogbuefi Chieftaincy title specifically reserved for women of high standing, by her Age Grade group in Oguta tradition.

She spoke generally about her FRANK ANGEL INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION and her contributions to free healthcare and wellness, training and education of girl child, relief for abused children, economic empowerment for widows in her community and her love for serving God as she is now addressed as Ogbuefi Dr. Vivien Ojadi popularly nick named “Ugo Jesus” and “Nmashinachi”. She is beautiful, brilliant, humble and hard working with a dedicated Christian life indicating serious focus on human capital development giving her humanitarian services to mankind a priority.

READ ON

May I meet you?

My name is Dr. Ogbuefi Vivien Ogo Ojadi.

How do you feel today?

I feel happy that it has passed that my Age Grade people have installed me as Ogbuefi in my Oguta community. It is a thing of joy.

What does the title portray?

It is the highest title and honour for a woman in Oguta. It is for a woman that has brought honour and a woman that has brought impact to the community and who is doing things that are meaningful to the community. So, that’s what it entails. I love my community as I bring for them free medical Missions and contribute to educational programs in the name of FRANK ANGEL International Foundation that I opened in the name of my parents being Francis and Angela Ojadi. So, I bring free medical care,

 I support children, I help develop women through the programmes we have for the community. For instance, there is this programme of extra murals for female students so that they can learn how to study. Also, today, you saw the Medical doctors here examining my Age Grade members who are going one by one getting their blood test, eye test and even with medications.

 What is the name of your Age Grade?

My Age Grade is called OTU AJASHI. Ajashi is an Oguta name. Normally different Age Grades have their own names so, sometimes they are named after the founder. 

Apart from educational and medical outreach programmes are there other services you render for your people?

I pay school Fees for Orphans it is a way of adopting them and funding their education up to University level. I also support our Reverend Sisters in the Catholic church for their Missions. I also support widows. I initiated that idea to help them develop economically.

 Are all these services under one umbrella of Frank Angel international Foundation?

No, they are of different names. Frank Angel International Foundation is mostly for Free Medical Care and like training of the children in School. Eye Care and they have it under the Foundation and I am training about 20 Orphans. We also help children who are being maltreated and those involved in child abuse with people they are living with. We rescue them and educate them. We have programmes where we educate people and take care of the elderly and the children. So, these are some of the things we do in the Foundation.

 Give us a rundown of your academic background? 

I am a Professor of Finance and Accounting. Most people are Professors of one thing but I am a Professor of two because I have my Accounting background and I am a Chairperson of the Department of Business Administration in Bristol Community College, Massachusetts, United States of America. I also lecture online at the University of Hertfordshire in England. I teach across continents. I teach on their Online Programmes in the UK mostly for their Postgraduate Executive Masters of Business Administration MBA programmes. And in their Business Administration programme Online. I also teach in a College in the United States of America. I am also a Professor of Finance in the UK, that is where I did my Doctoral degree PhD in Finance. I am also a Chartered Accountant. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria -ICAN because that is my background. I worked in the banking sector before in Nigeria. I worked in Diamond bank of Nigeria Ltd from 1996 where I was a Branch manager and Head of Internal Control. I started at Lagos where I worked in Marina, I worked in Idumota, Victoria Island. And I worked at the UAC building in Abuja. Then I went away to International Development. This is because before I joined Diamond Bank, I worked with EU, European Union Foundation as it was mostly European Union has projects in Nigeria, so I worked in European Development Fund for different projects in Nigeria a good one of them was in Helping the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC region there where some projects we did for them. We also did some projects in Northern Nigeria especially in the Mambilla Plateau TEA irrigation and the Dam, I was in the project. So, I have been to all those places while I was working for the EU. 

Then I left for the Bank and then while I was in the Bank the United States Agency for International Development -USAID that was when the International community decertified Nigeria because of the sanctions against Nigeria, so they decertified Nigeria and they left. They looked for those of us who had a background in International Development and they contacted me. That is how I got in to work there for their Nigerian Projects because USA citizens were leaving then. They contacted me to work for their Democracy and good Governance project in Nigeria under Centre For Development and Population Activities-CEDPA NGO and also Family Health International. We were also in charge of the Democracy and Governance Project in some states in the country helping women to come into Democracy and good governance and help to bring the country into democracy.

Was this before 1999?

Yes, it was.

And then we also did Public Health projects mostly for women’s Health. Then after I left there, I went back to the bank. I also worked in National Oil and Chemical Marketing Plc and I was Head of Service at a point I was in charge of Area Business Accounting at Ibadan for the whole of the Western states except Lagos. From Lagos I moved to Ibadan to handle the Area. From there I moved to Abuja. Then I returned to the Bank again in Diamond Bank as I was among the pioneers of Diamond Bank staff returning to the bank after leaving.

I left to serve the country. I did tell them that USAID invited me. So, I was a pioneer of people leaving and coming back. I was in Victoria Island,VI Lagos for a while then left to Abuja Branches as a Regional Control person. When we bought over Lion Bank, I became the Branch Manager of Nyanya branch after leading controls in UAC, Wuse 2, Deidei, and working in integration. And from there I went to the UK for my MBA degree at the University of Hertfordshire, an exemplar in Enterprise-facing universities. As the other universities were for research. It focused on enterprise and business. When I finished studying there, I returned to my bank job at Diamond bank. Shortly after that my MUM died. I was so devastated that I decided to leave home and to leave the environment. The university wanted me to come and teach students because of the way I worked with them. So, they offered me a job to be Lecturer, thereafter I became a Senior Lecturer and then I did my Doctoral Degree PhD. 

And from there I moved to the United States of America. And I worked at several universities. I started with Bridgewater State University Massachusetts. I also taught in a Dominican University called Providence College in Rhodes Island state. Before then I went to Rhodes Island College, another Bristol Community College where I am presently the Chair (Head of Department) of department of Business Administration. I also have an Accounting firm in Nigeria but it’s managed by a partner since I got busy abroad. 

So that is my work profile. 

 Your work profile is so intimidating.  

Thank you.

So, let’s come back to African culture since you have been in the international arena, how do you blend with getting the culture of your people back at home?

I am a home girl. My parents brought me up to love my home and my people. I like to know things that are being done back home. So, I have never left home in spirit. It is a thing of the spirit as I did not separate myself from my foundation. So, I maintained the foundation. And I am a very strong Christian, a Catholic Charismatic.

 How about your family life?       

I am the last child and I have eight living brothers and one sister, so we were born eleven but one died and ten are remaining and I am the last-born child. Being two women and eight men remaining.

So, as of today I am Ogbuefi Ugo Jesus Nmashinachi. Nmashinachi means “Beauty that comes from the creator or origin or destiny or God”. Chi means a lot in Igbo language. My mother’s name happened to be Ifeomashinachi meaning “Good things come from destiny or God.” But I am called Nmasinachi Ogbuefi Ugo Jesus.

———Emeka Amaefula —+234(0)8111813069