By Ingram Osigwe
When the head is suited for it, the cap fits unreservedly. From all ramifications, Chief Sir Kevin Uwanuakwa Obieri’s head is perfectly suited for Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) cap, it fits him quintessentially.
ONICCIMA sure recognises a goldfish when it sees one. It is not, therefore, a surprise that the chamber had no problem settling for Sir Obieri as its 14th president. He is taking over from another bright star, Pharmacist Ukachukwu.
With the inauguration of Sir Obieri as ONICCIMA’s 14th president, there is no doubt that the body is in for a rouboust and purposeful leadership and the economy of the commercial city of Onitsha sets for a paradigm shift.
Imbued with an intimidating resume, Sir Obieri is on a familiar tuff, he is not coming to learn on the job. He came prepared and ready to take ONICCIMA to the next level.
A Chartered Accountant, Obieri who was elected as the new President of the Chamber by the 33rd Annual General Meeting of ONICCIMA, was the 1st Deputy President of the body.
Obieri, without doubt, has navigated through the rudiments of knowledge and learning, professional practice and leadership which prepared and horned himself for the ONICCIMA topmost seat. He will bring his vast experience to bear on the task of oiling the wheels of the organised private sector in Onitsha nay Anambra state.
As a consultant to the Anambra State Government on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, there is no doubt that Obieri will latch onto his ONICCIMA Presidency to solve the hydra-headed problem of toxic taxation against businesses in the commercial city.
Sir Obieri had his early education respectively at St. Gabriel’s and St. Barnabas’ Primary Schools, Akokwa.
He later proceeded to the National High School, Aba, Abia State where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1979.
His brilliant performance was to earn him a 4-year scholarship of the Federal Ministry of Education with which he studied Geography and Regional Planning at the University of Calabar, graduating in 1983.
Hungry for hybrid knowledge and career, Obieri later made a career detour and embraced finance and accounting when he took up employment with KPMG- Peat, Marwick, Ani, Ogunde & Co., an international Chartered Audit and Accountancy firm where he worked and trained as a chartered accountant.
His quest for further academic laurels took him to the University of Benin wherein 1998 he gained the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and later to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka for M.Sc. degree in Accounting and Auditing, in 2014.
A member of a plethora of Professional bodies including a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nigeria, Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation, Member, Nigerian Institute of Management, Member, Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria among others, Chief Obieri in 1993 set up his professional practice in Onitsha under the name Ich-Dien Consultants.
He is happily married with adorable children.