Doctor Zo: Firmly rooted in African ancestry and family connection

Dr Arinze Leonard Onwumelu, one of the Nigerians proudly flying the flag of Africa’s most populous country in Canada, has offered clarification about his ethnic background.

Popularly known as Doctor Zo, the emergency and family physician, is one of the leading lights of the medical profession in the North African country, leading many to think that he was born and bred on Canadian soil.

However, in a recent interview, Doctor Zo insisted he is a homegrown Nigerian man who had his education in his native country before migrating to his adopted country of Canada.

Moreso, he is a man who is still firmly rooted in his African ancestry and family connection.
“My father is the late Chief Eddy Onwumelu, Ichie Mmili Na Ezolu Ora I of Umuoji, and my mother is Mrs Rose Onwumelu, Iyom Mmilimma.

I was the first of six children of four males and two females, though we lost our female siblings to illness at an early age due to illness, leaving us as an all-males sibling,” he stated.

He noted that theirs is a global family rooted on both sides of the Atlantic, saying: “My immediate younger brother, Eloka, is an Engineer, currently living in Houston with his family.

The third child is Val. He is in the crane business, and he lives with his family in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

The last child is Coco who owns a popular facility management company in Nigeria and lives with his family in Abuja.”

Doctor Zo, who further clarified that he was born in Onitsha, Anambra State of Nigeria, on September 16, 1971, attributed his trajectory in life to his parents.

He said: “My father was very supportive and was considered a very comfortable businessman and industrialist at the time.

He taught us the value of hard work, perseverance and how to believe in ourselves.

My mother, on the other hand, made sure that we grew up with good moral education.

She ensured that we all had formal education up to the university level before doing anything we would like to do in life.

The combination of both hard work and sound education helped a lot to make us who we are today.”