David Umahi Biography (Education, Politics, Business)

David Nweze Umahi is popularly as Dave Umahi. He is a Nigerian politician who is serving as the current Governor of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. He is a certified engineer and a notable philanthropist.

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David Umahi Biography

David Nweze Umahi was born January 1, 1964, to the family of Elder Joseph Umahi Nwaze and Margaret Umahi of Umunaga in Oha, Ozara Local Government. He attended Umunaga Primary School in Uburu from 1971 to 1977 where he bagged his First Leaving School Certificate with Distinction. He began his secondary education at Ishiagu High School in 1978 and did Class 1 and first term of class 2 in 1979 before he was admitted into the prestigious Government Secondary School Afikpo, where he completed his Secondary He graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Then in 1982, he proceeded to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

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Education

While he was at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, he was elected into the Students’ parliament as a Senator representing Engineering Faculty. He did his national service in SAIPEM SPA in Benin City, in present day Edo State. While serving there, he was made a sectional head (Cathodic Protection Engineering sector) in the 2.8 billion Naira gas pipeline project from Escravos in Warri to Egbin gas plant in Lagos. He was honored with the NYSC State Award for his outstanding performance

Personal life

He is married to Rachael Umahi, woman-leader and committed Christian and and their union is blessed with children. He is the brother to Austin Umahi, the National Vice Chairman, South East PDP

Politics

He began public service in 2007 as the acting chairman of the Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party. From 2009 to 2011, he served as state chairman of the party. During that term, he served a year on the governing board of the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba as its chairman. In 2011, Umahi became deputy governor of Ebonyi State on a ticket with the-then Governor Martin Elechi.

However, in 2014, Governor Elechi supported Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health, as his successor, which Umahi stated violated an understanding that he would take that role. Umahi went ahead to defeat Chukwu in the primaries. The remainder of Elechi’s term was chaotic, with arson hitting the House of Assembly in February 2015 and motions taken to impeach him later that month over alleged unconstitutional gross misconduct, misappropriation of funds and anti-party activities.

He was elected as the Governor of Ebonyi state on the 12th of April 2015 in an election that has been challenged by the Labour Party, All Progressives Congress and All Progressives Grand Alliance on the basis of “widespread irregularities, killings, and wanton destruction of property”. In October 2015, the legitimacy of the election was upheld by the Governorship Election Tribunal.

Also, On the 16th day of March, 2019, he was re-elected as Governor in the Ebonyi state governorship election. He polled 393,343 votes to defeat APC’s Sonny Ogbuoji who polled 81,703 votes.

Defection to the APC

On November 11, 2020 Governor Dave Umahi declared his intention to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) and on 17 November 2020 he officially defected to the party after a long time speculation. Umahi made his declaration of joining the APC for reasons according to him, one of them being that “the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been unfair to the Southeast Geopolitical Zone” and secondly, “that it has being hijacked by one or two individuals”. He also doused the speculation against him that he joined the APC because he wanted a presidential ticket which wasn’t promised to him in the PDP by saying that he would quit politics in 2023 after leaving office as governor.

President Muhammadu Buhari also congratulated Umahi for his defection to the APC, he described it as a bold step driven by principle rather than opportunistic moves.

Business

He worked in a company – Water Engineering Giant and rose to the Position of project Engineer.Among his many successes while there was the successful supervisor of the Historic Umuahia Water Project and also the Ndiegoro Aba Flood Control measures between 1989 and 1990.

In 1990, he co-founded Norman Engineering and Construction Nig. Limited with Ombo Isokarari and served as its general manager until 1993. He was also the chairman and CEO of the following companies until March 2011, when he resigned his position and membership of all the companies due to his election into public office:

Brass Engineering & Construction Nig Ltd.
Fucus Investment Nig. Ltd.
Osborn La Palm Royal Resort Ltd.

Christian life

Engr. Dave Umahi became a born again Christian in 1979 in Assemblies of God Church. In 1990 he joined Christ Embassy Church in Lagos and became the chairman of church’s building committee nationwide. He was in charge of development of church structures throughout Nigeria.He chaired church development at Ikeja Lagos, Oregun Lagos, and many camp grounds in Lagos , Warri , Port Harcourt , Calabar and Benin and many others . He was also the chief financier for he building of the church headquarters in Abakaliki Ebonyi State. He was made a Deacon in the Church in 1994.

Philanthropism

He is a great philanthropist. Truthfully, he has given meaning and value to the lives of many people across different ethnic nationalities. He set up Engr. Dave Umahi Education foundation, Under the ‘ENGR. DAVE UMAHI EDUCATION FOUNDATION’, Chief Umahi has given out full scholarship training to over 1000 undergraduates from different universities in Nigeria from year one to final year since 2007 to date. He also runs a Charity program where he distributes essential materials and cash to widows, orphans and the less-privileged periodically. In his youth empowerment scheme, he has sponsored the training of youths in entrepreneurial skills, mobilized many financially and today many of them are proud owners of good businesses. He has bought 5 tippers, 37 cars and over 1000 motorcycles for people.

He has empowered many youths both in academic and artisanship, fed the hungry, empowered the poor, taken care of the weak and disabled, provided free health services for the sick, built up people who hitherto had no hope of rising up in life, guide and inspired the youths on the part of godliness, vision, success and greatness . In January 2015, he donated a transformer to the Hausa community in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He has really been a great help to the country at large.