Chairman

Honourable Uche Onyeagucha

Honorable Uche Onyeagucha was born in Obinze, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria in 1965. As a lawyer and environmental activist, he worked with Oronto Douglas and Ken Saro-Wiwa, to bring justice to Ogoniland on the vast environmental damage and injustice done to the land in the 1960s by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). As a pro-democracy campaigner, he has fought military dictatorship, suffering several detentions and persecutions, nonetheless undaunted throughout it all.

His past professional work has included serving as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, legal advisor for the Ijaw Youth Council and the Colliery Pensioners (Imo State), and founder member for the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria. He sits on the boards of trustees for Kiisi Trust Fund (Chairman), WORI Nigeria, Governors Civil Liberties Organization, and Founder Right 2 Know. He is currently the Principal Officer and Founding Partner for Onyeagucha, Chinda, and Associates. Mr. Onyeagucha served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives in Nigeria from 2003 – 2007. In 2017, Mr. Onyeagucha decided to run for Governor of Imo State under the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Professor Barineme Beke Fakae

Professor Barineme Fakae hails from Kabangha in Nyokhana district of Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. He was a commonwealth academic staff scholar who has served in the petroleum sector, higher institutions, state and federal government parastatals. He served as Rector of the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori (now Ken-Saro Wiwa Polytechnic) and Vice Chancellor, Rivers State University of Science and Technology from 2007-2015 (now Rivers State University). His tenures in these institutions witnessed massive infrastructural development, evidence of academic orderliness and vigorous implementation of an ICT Master Plan with the sole aim of leveraging technology for effective curriculum delivery and research.

Professor Fakae has presented 30 (thirty) papers at national and international conferences and over 50 (fifty) publications in peer-reviewed and impact-favored journals cited on google scholar. He has earned several international academic fellowships and research awards such a Wellcome Nigeria Fund Research Award (1986), Sir Halley Steward Trust Awards (1995-2007), The Royal Society Third World Visiting Scientist Award (1998) and the Wellcome Trust Travelling Fellowship Award (1998-1999). In addition, Professor Fakae was a technical partner and political adviser to United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) Assessment Team that delivered the celebrated UNEP Report on Ogoniland.

Madam Deezia Hannah Karikpo

Deezia Hannah Karikpo was born in Bane-Keh Khana, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria in 1949.  Madam Karikpo’s professional work has included working as a Trainer of Trainees for Life-Saving Skills (Obstetric Emergencies) for UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Health, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) disciplinary committee, Head of School of Midwifery (Port Harcourt) and Member of UNFPA Assisted Community Reproductive Health Project (technical advisory committee). She has won several leadership and merit awards for her service to humanity, including Outstanding Contribution and Selfless Services towards Humanity and National Building in Nursing and Midwifery Education (WEMA), the legacy of True Leadership Awards for Impacting tremendously on the people of Nigeria and Africa through Charismatic Leadership Dispositions, Trust, Honesty, Transparency, and Accountability (African Leadership News), and Merit Award for Wealth of Experience and Contribution to the Development and Practice of Nursing/Midwifery Education and Public Administration/Management in Nigeria (Joint Accreditation and Certification Board of the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Public Administrator and International Federation of Public Administrator Association), just to name a few. Madam Deezia Karikpo is currently the Executive Director of Deebii Family Health Restoration Initiative (DEFHRI).

Prof. F.B. Sigalo

Professor Friday Barikpe Sigalo is a native of Barako village in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.

Professor Sigalo joined the Rivers State University of Science and Technology as a Graduate Assistant in 1983. Between 1989 and 1998 Professor Sigalo rose through the ranks from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer 11, Lecturer 1 and Senior Lecturer. He was promoted Reader (Associate Professor) in physics in 2005 and was finally promoted Professor of Applied Physics in 2014 (with effective date as 2010). Professor Sigalo is an astute Lecturer and University administrator. He was Departmental Examination Officer 1990 – 1992. Faculty Examination Officer 1992 – 2002. Professor Sigalo was appointed Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Science between 2001 and 2002.

In 2002, he was invited to Japan as visiting fellow to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, on recommendation by Professor P. N. Okeke. He spent the period 2002 to 2003 in Japan researching in Astrophysics. In October 2010 he was nominated by the Centre to lead a team of Nigerian Scientists and Engineers to the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Urumqi, China, in preparation for the concluding part of the Nigeria radio telescope which has been under constructed in China.  In April 2011 he was appointed Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science. In 2013 he was again appointed Dean of Student Affairs.

Professor Sigalo has over 45 publications in National and International referred journals. He has established the only Astronomy Centre in the South-South of Nigeria, in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt. Professor Sigalo was a member of the Governing Council of the College of Arts and Science, Port Harcourt (2001 – 2002). He was a Principal Training Officer and Census Officer for Gokana Local Government Area during the 1991 Census. Professor Sigalo is a Fellow of the Nigerian institute of Physics; Member, Physics Writers Creation; Member, African Astronomical Society; Member, Nigerian Radiation Association and Member, Astronomical Society of Nigeria. Professor Sigalo served on the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Physics from 2004 to 2008. This man is an astute academic, a student of the icon of Physics Emeritus Professor P. N. Okeke. Professor Sigalo has contributed immensely to the development of Physics in Nigeria.