Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah

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Chinye Okobah (born March 30, in the 1957) is a Nigerian Author, and creative literary artist. He is an administrator, legal practitioner, ADR practitioner, and Marriage/Family Counsellor. He is also a Facilitator/Project Supervisor at the National Open University of Nigeria (Asaba Study Center), and a Dispute Resolution Expert. He is currently a Neutral (Mediator/Arbitrator) in Edo state Multi-Door Court House and a senior partner of the reputable Avid Dispute Resolution Services, Asaba, Nigeria. He worked in the Delta state Judiciary system for many years and climbed the ranks. He is a Lawyer and a Member of the Nigerian Bar Association. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACIArb) (UK), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration (FCAI), and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Science (FIMSc). He is also certified as a Negotiator by the Queensland University, Institute of Negotiation, Australia. He is currently the Financial Secretary of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, (ICMC), Asaba Branch. Chinye Okobah is a teacher of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and an experienced marriage counsellor.

Early Life and Education

Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah
The Author “Aura of Divinity”. The Author “Aura of Divinity”.
Born	March 30 Port Harcourt, River state, Nigeria
🏳️ Nationality	Nigerian
🏫 Education	Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts Bachelor's degree in Law Master's degree in Law.
🎓 Alma mater	University of Calabar Great University of Benin Ambrose Alli University
💼 Occupation
Notable work	Aura of Divinity Brook Amiable
👩 Spouse(s)	Rita Nwanne Okobah (Nee Biosah)
👶 Children	4

Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah was born at Port Harcourt to Prince Fidelis Ikejiunor Okobah of the Royal Family of Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta state, Nigeria. He started his early education at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Port Harcourt but the exigency of service, which took his father around on transfers as a staff of the Nigerian Railway, moved them to Makurdi in the present Benue state of Nigeria, and Chinye continued with his education at St. Theresa’s Catholic Primary School, Welumayo, Wuruku, Makurdi, Benue state, Nigeria. Further, the outbreak of the Nigerian civil disturbance compelled his family to flee to their village, Onicha-Ugbo, where he completed his primary school education at All Saints Catholic Primary School, Onicha-Ugbo in 1968 at a very tender age. He was desirous to hike on with his education, but the death of his father in 1967, at the wake of the Nigerian civil war, put his educational ambition on hold. Shortly after his father’s death his mother also died, and he and his three brothers and three sisters became fully orphaned. Chinye lived with his maternal grandparents who were very old and indigent, and he became a full-time farmer for three years at that tender age, from 1968 to 1971. In 1972, through the assistance of his maternal uncle, he went to St Pius Xth Grammar School Onicha-Ugbo, as a day student, and graduated in June 1976. He started his working career immediately after his secondary school education as a clerk of court (clerical officer) in the High Court of Justice of the defunct Bendel state of Nigeria with effect from 28th January 1977.

Further Educational Pursuit/Professional Career

Chinye Okobah has a life filled with numerous professional achievements as well as academic and scholarly achievements, considering that there was never a time when he didn’t mix the application of his sound and reliable knowledge in service with his desire to learn and attain greater heights. So doing, he has had numerous and fruitful exploits throughout his professional career in active service and beyond.

Exploits at the Defunct Bendel state Judiciary (Nigeria)

As soon as he joined the service, he began to nurture his dream of further education. He proceeded to the University of Calabar, Calabar, on study-leave-without-pay with the little money he saved from his income from 1977 to 1979 and assistance from friends and well-wishers. He nearly dropped out of school after his first year due to lack of finances. However, by Deus ex Machina, Professor Ambrose Alli, upon becoming the governor of the defunct Bendel state, gave vacation job of N200 (two hundred Naira) per month to every university undergraduate of Bendel state origin during the three months long holiday, and N600 (six hundred Naira) bursary award. Chinye continued with his studies and graduated in 1983 with bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts. Thereafter he did his National Youth Service (NYSC) in Jos, Plateau state Nigeria, under the Plateau Council for Arts and Culture, from 1983 to 1984. After the NYSC he was reabsorbed into the service and was posted to the Magistrates court, Benin City as a court process clerk. His hard work and discipline spoke so eloquently that the then Chief Registrar (through the recommendations of magistrates, lawyers, and litigants) noticed his talent and assiduousness, and posted him to the administrative headquarters, High Court of Justice, Benin City, in 1985.

With his first-degree university qualification, he was elevated to the post of Higher Registrar (the equivalent of Higher Executive Officer in the civil service), backdated to 1984 when he resumed duty with his university degree qualification and NYSC. He became the first university graduate in the Registrars’ Cadre of the judiciary of the defunct Bendel state. That was a very big challenge to him, especially as his colleagues who were much older than him in age and in the service were envious of him for coming to rob shoulder with them. Chinye set himself to hard work, and shortly his talent and resourcefulness became so eloquent that he became a golden fish in his organization. The Honorable Chief Judge and the Chief Registrar of the defunct Bendel state High Court of Justice noticed his selfless service, distinguished administrative prowess, and impeccable and unbeatable track record as an assiduous, amiable, and distinguished administrator per excellence, and that raised him head and shoulder above his contemporaries in the service. At that middle manpower management cadre, he was so distinguished that he was appointed to serve in almost every important committee in the High Court of the defunct Bendel state. He was at the hob of the implementation of the 1988 Civil Service Reform in the state judiciary. He was personally nominated by the Honorable Chief Judge as a member of the state implementation committee, as the representative of the state judiciary. He represented the Judiciary in all the meetings held with the state government on account of the modus operandi of the implementation of the reform.

Exploits at the Delta state Judiciary (Nigeria)

Upon the creation of Delta state in 1991 Chinye Okobah was appointed by the Chief Judge of Delta state, upon nomination by the Chief Registrar, to serve as the representative of Delta state Judiciary in the state implementation committee for the sharing of the Bendel state assets between Edo and Delta states. He represented the Judiciary in all the meetings held with Delta state government vis-à-vis Edo state government on account of the modus operandi, and the sharing formula of the assets of the defunct Bendel state, in respect of the judiciary. Chinye Okobah was also appointed by the Honorable Chief Judge to represent the judiciary in the implementation of the Obasanjo administration’s National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) program, as replicated at state level as State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDS) program and he handled all the implementation process in the state judiciary to the satisfaction of the Honorable Chief Judge and the Chief Registrar. He was sent to represent the judiciary in such important program which aimed at building solid foundation for the attainment of Nigeria’s long-term vision of becoming the largest and strongest African economy and the key player in the world economy, because of the trust and confidence reposed in him as a good administrator, and his competence, assiduousness, and integrity – that was a rare privilege and honor to a great achiever.

From 1985 to 1991 Chinye Okobah served as court administrator in various capacities – establishments officer, training officer, labor relations officer, protocol officer to the Hon Chief Judge, utility officer, etc. The challenges he received in his workplace, a legal industry, prompted him to go back to the university to train as a lawyer. He enrolled in the Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Benin City, as a part-time student in 1990. The creation of Edo and Delta states out of the defunct Bendel state took him to Asaba the capital of Delta state which greatly affected his studies. However, he hiked on and continued through arduous sacrifices, traversing between Asaba and Benin, combined with his very tasking schedules as an administrator; and he graduated in 1997. The Nigerian Law School was moved to Bwari, Abuja in 1998, and the circumstances at that time created very high competition in admission to the Bar Final program of the Nigerian Law School. Chinye was one of the very privileged few that were admitted that year, and he was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 1999. He further acquired a master's degree in law in 2003 from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Nigeria. Chinye Okobah was appointed as Director of Administration & Personnel Management of the High Court of Delta state in August 1999, and he served in that office till September 2009 (a period of ten years). It is remarkable to state that he was the first graduate in the Registrars’ cadre of the Judiciary of Delta state, the first person to be appointed into the officer’s cadre, the first lawyer in the Registrar’s cadre, and the first person to be appointed as substantive Director in Delta state Judiciary. He served as the Coordinating Registrar of Delta state Revenue Court from 2009 to 2012 from where he retired from service after thirty-five years of meritorious service.

Authored and Published Works

Chinye Okobah has written and published two books in Public Administration and Management (Administration & Management in the State Judicial Service, and Practical Guide to Court Duties in Nigeria). He is currently working on another book in public administration which focuses on the judiciary public service of contemporary Nigeria. His first novel titled Aura of Divinity has enjoyed wide readership both in Nigeria and overseas. It was used as a literature textbook in Edo state from 1991 and beyond. The book also gained the attention of Professor Wendy Griswold, a Professor of Sociology of Literature, Sociology and Committee of History and Culture, University of Chicago, a university in the United States, her remark about the book brought it to the notice of American readers. Chinye Okobah’s second novel, Brook Amiable, is also an interesting piece of literature, and was used in the secondary schools of Delta state as a literature textbook. His other novels include Heir of the Realm, Fruit of Sacrifice, Oh Father, etc. He has written and published many books on marriage Counselling, some of which are: Marital Bliss: Part One (The Incipience of Connubial Adventure); Marital Bliss: Part Two (Wedding); Three Pillars of Success in Marriage; Starting a Christian Home; Christian Marriage & Family Life; Sublime Thoughts; Male Involvement in Maternal and Child Health; and Divorce & Remarriage (in publishing process).

Personal Life and Family

Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah is a very talented, creative, and resourceful person. He is a careful manager and administrator per excellence, a wonderful human resource developer/manager, an astute academic researcher, and a prolific writer. His love for academics and research made him the bedrock of training and staff development in the High Court of Delta state, for which he is fondly remembered by the state judiciary. This goes with his aphorism that “if you are a great person but fail, refuse or neglect to train and prepare people or someone to be like you, or even better than you, to take over and continue after you, then you are a colossal failure”. That was why he had great passion for training and manpower development; and it gave him the opportunity to serve as a resource person on two occasions at national workshops organized by the National Judicial Institute – a rare privilege. Chinye is a versatile academician, trainer, and resourceful person.

Apart from the marvelous manpower development and training of the staff of Delta state Judiciary, he was also always called upon to help in training and manpower development of some other organizations, especially the Customary Court of Appeal and the Unified Local Government Service, Delta state, Nigeria. He has prepared and delivered lectures in various places of repute, including the Nigeria Police, Delta state Command, at Asaba Delta state; Nigeria Bar Association, Asaba Branch (during their Law Week); Nigeria Bar Association, Benin City Branch (during their Law Week); Students’ Union of Delta state University, Anwai Campus; Law students Association, National Open University of Nigeria, Asaba Study Centre (during their law students’ weeks), etc. His training activities extended to Delta state Multi-Door Court House (an organization of Alternative Dispute Resolution); and the prestigious Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliator (ICMC) Asaba Chapter (in accreditation/induction training program).

Chinye has exemplified himself as a shrewd mediator and dispute resolution expert. He is currently one of the Neutrals (Alternative Dispute Resolution practitioners) in Edo state Multi-Door Court House. Chinye is also a project supervisor and Facilitator at the National Open University of Nigeria, Asaba Study Centre. He is still actively involved in training/Human Resource and Manpower Development. His impute and impacts in public administration and management was so outstanding, especially in the Judicial service, that three years after his retirement he was reengaged to serve as one of the two pioneer Directors of Delta State Multi-Door Court House, from 2015 to 2017. Due to his diligence and comportment, he was appointed as member of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (Asaba Branch).

Chinye Okobah is the principal partner of MonFidels Law Consult, a senior partner of the reputable Avid Dispute Resolution Services (a veritable ADR organization), and a coordinating Partner of Marriage and Family Revival Communion. He is currently the leader of the Marriage Counselling Team of Church of God Mission, Bishopric Headquarters, Asaba, Nigeria. He is married to Rita Nwanne Okobah (Nee Biosah) and since their marriage, their lives have enriched many souls, both in their local church and in the entire body of Jesus Christ across Nigeria and beyond. Chinye and his wife delight in spending valuable time and resources building homes and bringing broken homes together; and Chinye has authored many books severally, and some jointly with his wife on marriage and family life. His marriage is blessed with children.

References

This article "Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Charles Chinye Ikejiunor Okobah. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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