Okigwe North: The Gains Of Chikwem ‘s Chatham’s Visit

The Gains of Chikwem’s Chatham House Visit

Pictures of Hon Chikwem Onuoha, the Labour candidate for Okigwe North Federal Constituency, at Chatham House London with Peter Obi recently circulated on social media with most comments commending the young politician’s thirst for knowledge and desire to keep learning from the best.

Being the only candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria to be part of Obi’s entourage further reflects Chikwem’s hunger for improvement and new ideas. At a time his counterparts and colleagues are busy with campaigns, he still considered it important to steal out time from his very busy schedule to head to London to sit with the great and mighty and rub minds together.

One would ask, how is Chikwem’s visit to Chatham a gain? To answer one, one needs to understand what Chatham House is. Chatham House is a world-leading independent policy institute with a mission to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world. They pursue this mission through dialogue, analysis and solutions-based ideas, and by empowering the next generation to build a better world. It is an institute that has recorded the presence of world leaders as well as offering leadership lectures to corporate members comprising private companies, governmental departments, embassies and high commissions, universities and academic institutions, media organizations and NGOs.

The people of Okigwe/Onuimo/Isiala-Mbano LGAs of Imo State have in Chikwem Onuoha a man whose quest for excellence is deep and style of leadership in line with global best practice. He chases knowledge and is steadily seen in the midst of intellectuals and progressives. He does nor shy away from intellectual gathering and his investment in education has seen him trained over 400 youths of the Federal Constituency. The gain of his visit is beyond the intellectual romance he had with other great minds that attended the event, his appearance at the event tells how he is valued within the Labour Party family and points to his readiness to project his Federal Constituency to the global audience.

The interpretation is the Green Chamber being a House where intellection thrives, Chikwem would shine. He wouldn’t feel intimidated nor shy away from making meaningful contributions to motions in the House. He would position Okigwe North prominently in the House and being the only candidate to be part of Obi’s entourage affirms his lobbying muscle which will come handy in the House. The ball is in the court of the electorate of Okigwe North Federal Constituency. This golden opportunity to have a golden representation shouldn’t be missed.