Chukwuemeka Ihedioha

Chukwuemeka Ihedioha was born on March 24, 1965 at Mbutu Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State, South-East Nigeria. He had his secondary education at St. Ephraim's Secondary School, Owerrinta and his tertiary education at the University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988.

Versatile, intelligent and knowledge-driven, Ihedioha took his search for knowledge to different parts of the globe, certifying and specialising in several fields of endeavours that have made him a rounded professional, administrator and consummate politician of towering repute. Among others, he undertook an Executive Certificate Course in financial Management from the Stanford University, and a Leadership Certificate Course from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, both world-renown, prestigious Ivy League institutions in the United States of America (USA).

Not satisfied with these academic feats, Ihedioha delved into practical post-graduate training as a communications and public relations specialist. As a communication expert par excellence, he worked with various top-rate organizations and consultancy firms before responding full-time to the call of is natural love and vocation, which is politics. And in this field of public service, he has built a rich background of experience from various high caliber positions that afforded him opportunity to serve his fatherland.

In 1992, he was appointed Press Officer to then Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Iyorchia Ayu. Barely a year later he was appointed as Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Senate President of that era. Following military incursion in the polity in November 1993, Ihedioha returned to his communications practice as Chief Executive Officer of First Page Communications. However, by 1995, when the whistle for transition to civilian rule was blown, he readily found his sails in the familiar waters of politics. He promptly connected with the mainstream and like a golden fish that has no hiding place, he became the Director of Publicity of the newly formed People's Democratic Movement (PDM), the famous purveyor of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998.

In that capacity, he played very crucial and prominent roles in the emergence of the President Obasanjo administration in 1999. Accordingly, Ihedioha was appointed into certain key positions in the budding democratic dispensation: first as Special Assistant to the Presidential Adviser on Utilities (July 1999); later, as Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the President of Senate (November 1999); and eventually Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Vice President (September 2001). It was from his last assignment in the office of the Vice President that he contested won as Member a seat into the House of Representative as a member representing Aboh-Mbasie-Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State in 2003. Between 2003 and 2007, he served as Chairman, House committee on Marine Transport, where he brilliantly coordinated legislative oversight functions over Nigeria's maritime sector. The passage of the Cabotage Law, a key legislation which reformed the maritime industry to allow for increased participation of Nigerians in that sector of the economy, is generally credited to the sterling, committed and determined efforts of Ihedioha. He re-contested and won back his seat in 2007 where he served as Chairman House committee on Cooperation an Integration in Africa before he was elected Chief Whip of the House, a position he held till the expiration of that term.

He is currently the deputy speaker of the House Of Representative of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

Renowned for his political savvy and legislative dexterity, Ihedioha has played very notable roles as a stabilizer, synthesizer and great mobilizer both in the House and his party the PDP. Ihedioha is a devout Christian who has risen to become a Knight of the order of St. Christopher of the Anglican Communion. His numerous contributions in strengthening the structures of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, have been well noted. For instance he was recently conferred with Diocesan Merit Award by the Diocese of Mbaise, Anglican Communion. A recipient of several chieftaincy titles, Chief Ihedioha is also a committed community leader.

In the course of his service to fatherland, Ihedioha was conferred with several recognitions, awards and fellowship. A fellow of the Chartered Institute of Shipping,he was awarded the Most Outstanding Maritime Legislator by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria; Distinguished Service Award from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and recently as One of Nigeria'50 Most Outstanding Legislators (1999–2009). A committed family man, Ihedioha, Nigeria's number six citizen in the protocol list is married and blessed with four children.