By Tosin Ajerire and Philip Nwosu
Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim
Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim is a Nigerian politician who was born on January 6, 1967. She is currently an All Progressives Congress (APC) member of the House of Representatives for Damatura/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa in Yobe State. Educated at Headington School, Oxford, Padworth College, and the University of Surrey, she holds a BSc degree in Business Studies and Sociology, which she obtained in 1989.
Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali
Brigadier-General Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali (retd) was born on August 25, 1959 at Birnin-Magaji in Zamfara State to the late Alhaji Mohammed Mode Dan-Ali’s family, who was the first emir of Nirnin-Magaji Emirate. His quest for knowledge led him to obtain maximum training in Arabic Alphabet, graduating in the recitation of the Holy Qur’an at a tender age.
In his ambition to acquire both Islamic and Western education, he secured admission into Government Secondary School, Shinkafi, where he excelled in every subject. On completion of his secondary education (1972-1977), he proceeded to obtain Higher National Diploma (HND) in Photogrammetric and Survey Engineering (GIS) from Kaduna Polytechnic (1977-1982). He crowned his educational career with master’s degrees in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from Bayero University, Kano (2004-2005); Security Studies, from the Bangladesh University of Professionals, in 2009.
In order to fulfill his lifetime ambition of becoming a military officer, he enrolled in Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, where he was successfully commissioned as a lieutenant in December 1984. He served in different capacities in both command and staff. Some of his major appointments were: a Captain 311 Artillery Regiment Epe, Battery Captain, Adjutant and Battery Commander from 1985-1988; Company Commander/Instructor at Short Service Wing at NDA 1994-1996, as a Lt. Col.
Okechukwu Enyinna Enelamah
Dr. Okechukwu Enyinna Enelamah, also known as Okey, is the Chief Executive Officer, Partner, and Founder at African Capital Alliance. He founded the firm in 1997. He was one of the original principals of Zephyr Capital and South Africa Capital Growth Fund, Ltd. He serves as the Director of African Venture Capital Association, a member of the Board of Africa Venture Capital Association and the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association and Director of Emerging Markets Private Equity Association.
Enelamah is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a qualified Chartered Accountant in Nigeria, winning two national prizes in the qualifying examinations. He holds an M.B.A. degree with high distinction from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.
Prof Claudius Omoleye Daramola
Professor Claudius Omoleye Daramola is a native of Ode-Aye, in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State. He was a student of the famous Divisional Teacher Training College for the Teacher Grade II Certificate before proceeding to the University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto) where he received B. Sc. Ed. in Sociology. He later attended the University of Jos and obtained M. Ed. In Sociology of Education. His Ph.D was earned at the University of Ilorin, where he was a distinguished Professor of Sociology of Education.
Professor Daramola, who held many administrative positions at the University and national levels, is a team player and selfless. He believes that any position man holds is temporary and that the good leader should always seek ways of impacting most positively on the lives of those he is leading.
Prof Anthony Anwuka
Professor Anwuka was born on April 22, 1951 in Egbuoma Town of Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. A seasoned Professor of Education and an experienced Public Administrator, he was until recently, the Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University.
His academic prowess had taken him outside Nigeria for higher studies. He did his doctorate degree programme in General Curriculum, System Analysis and Social Studies at the University of Washington Seattle, USA in 1977.
Professor Tony worked as a Teaching Assistant, University of Washington, Seattle 1976-1977, Curriculum Resource Person/Instructor, Specialist Seattle Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (SOIC) 1977 1978; Senior Lecturer, University of Maiduguri, 1983-1985; Reader, University of Maiduguri, 1986 1998; Curriculum Resource Person/Consultant, Nigerian National Teachers Institute, (NTI), Kaduna, 1983 1986.
Prof Isaac Folorunsho Adewole
Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Before being VC, he was a member of Council and the Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine. Born on May 5, 1954, Prof. Adewole attended Ilesa Grammar School from 1966-1972 where he obtained Grade I with Distinction in 1970 and the Higher School Certificate in 1972, in the same school where he passed with flying colours in the three Science subjects he offered.
Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed
Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed was the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). Her appointment followed the recommendations of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of NEITI after an extensive screening and interview process.
Until her appointment, Mrs. Ahmed was a member of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of NEITI and the former Managing Director, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company.
She holds a degree in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and master’s degree in Business Administration.
Heineken Lokpobiri
Born on March 3, 1967, Heineken Lokpobiri was elected into the Senate in April 2007 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Bayelsa West constituency. Before that, he was speaker of Bayelsa House of Assembly. He received an LL.B (Hons) in 1994 from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt and BL in February 1995. Lokpobiri was chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Transport.
James Ocholi
Barrister James Ocholi (SAN) is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former governorship aspirant on the platform of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Kogi State. Former APC’s National Deputy Legal Adviser, he contested for the party’s governorship ticket in Kogi State but lost to Alhaji Abubakar Audu. He considers himself as a thorough professional who enjoys what he’s doing. “I am a professional. I do well in my job. I enjoy my job and I thought by giving quality attention one could correct a bit,” he once said.
Abubakar Bawa Bwari
Abubakar Bawa Bwari is a politician, planner and environmentalist. Born on November 4, 1963 in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, the man fondly called ABB by his admirers attended Government Secondary School, Suleja. He proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning in 1986 and 1990 respectively.
A member of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners and Town Planning Registration Council, ABB worked as a planning officer with the Niger State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town Planning before establishing his own firm, Tropical Design Associates, in 1994.
Aside being a successful businessman with investment in many business ventures, ABB is also an experienced politician. He was a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Suleja/Gurara/Tafa Federal Constituency in 1998. He later became the Chief Whip of the House from 1999 to 2007.
Pastor Usani Uguru Usani
He is a man of many of parts. Pastor Usani Uguru Usani is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State. Twice, he contested the governorship election in Cross River State and lost. The last time he contested was on February 25, 2012, on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He likes to describe himself as a statesman and not a mere politician.