Special focus on top 20 members of House of Representatives

Hon (Dr.) Patrick Oziokoja Asadu: A legislator per excellence
Hon (Dr.) Patrick Oziokoja Asadu is a man of great accomplishments and integrity who is very passionate about the need to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the less privileged in the society.

The compassionate patriot, who is always out to alleviate the suffering of the down-trodden, was born in Ovoko community on August 23, 1964 to the family of Pa David Eze nwa Asadu and Mrs. Mary Oriefi Asadu (nee Eze Okwechi) both of blessed memory.

Asadu, who hails from Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, attended Central and Community primary schools in his hometown. Showing early but outstanding traces of academic brilliance, the young Patrick graduated with a Distinction in the First School Leaving Certificate in 1977.

Without doubt, this was an academic feat at the time and only highlighted Asadu’s imminent greatness as predicted by his uncle and a foremost traditional title holder in Ovoko, the late Ozioko Obetta nwa Okwor in whose house Patrick was born. He, indeed, named the baby boy Oziokoja, meaning Ozioko Junior.

History is replete with men of outstanding personage like Asadu who, in spite of their humble beginnings and circumstances of birth, rose to the pinnacle of their chosen careers.

The young Asadu was admitted into the famous Zixton High School, Ozubulu in the present Anambra State from where he transferred his studies to Boys Secondary School, Ovoko in the same year.

Despite being part of the foundation students in this rather newly-established rural secondary school, with little to no facilities at all, Oziokoja Asadu left five years after with yet another Distinction Certificate after his WASC examinations. Simultaneously, he gained admission to the Medical School of the University of Nigeria.

All these jaw-dropping performances were achieved despite missing large chunks of school days due to financial constraints that threatened his education at certain periods.

At others, he missed classes so as assist his peasant parents eke out livings from all forms of odd and menial jobs while other luckier students were in school.

Patrick Oziokoja Asadu’s journey through the Medical School of the University of Nigeria is a sure testimony to the triumph of determination over adversities.

Till this day, Patrick Asadu remains grateful and indebted to a few public-spirited individuals who helped financially or in other ways to see him through school. And to the glory of God, Oziokoja graduated as one of the stars of his 1988 Class of the Medical College.

Evidently not one to succumb to life’s daunting challenges, he carried on his stellar and divinely- propelled successes to his chain of Clinics that spanned Anambra, Enugu and Kogi states onto a public service and a political life of distinction.

Appointed into the Executive Council of Enugu State as Commissioner for Lands in the year 2000 by a senior colleague in the Medical School and then Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, Hon Patrick has not looked back ever since.

As presciently predicted by his long departed big uncle, Ozioko Obetta nwa Okwor, Dr. Pat Asadu’s life journey has been all about successes and landmark achievements in private life, public service and politics anchored on total faith in God.

As the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, he developed both the Ebeano and Golf Course Housing Estates in Enugu and opened up several other previously unknown layouts into sprawling estates.

Thanks to his excellence in the ministry, he was later deployed to several other key ministries and also served as a Caretaker Chairman of his Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area when the need arose.

The proof of his loyalty and efficiency was such that Governor Nnamani retained his services for the entirety of the life of that Government that elapsed in 2007.

Ozokioja was subsequently elected into the Federal House of Representatives in 2007 and also nominated into the ECOWAS Parliament same year.

Hon. Dr. Patrick Oziokoja Asadu served for two terms of 4- years each as First Rapporteur of the ECOWAS Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Child Protection.

His training as a Medical Doctor and his avid and continuous post graduate studies in Public Health in the University of Nigeria, his exposure to the problems of the poor, the needy and the vulnerable across the whole of West Africa combined with his experiences early in life of schooling under excruciating poverty, may have informed Hon. Dr Asadu’s attachment to issues of poverty and poverty alleviation and standing up for the weak and the vulnerable at all times.

He sponsored many key bills and motions in the House with a distinction of having never had any of his individual bills or motions ever defeated or rejected.

Hon. Dr Asadu has grown to become a much respected voice in the Nigeria’s Parliamentary Democracy. In the field of education, learning and research alone, Dr. Pat Asadu sponsored the Bill for an Act to amend the University of Nigeria Nsukka Establishment Act to bring it to the international best standards.

Also, the Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal University of Vocational Technical Education and Technology Enugu from the present I.M.T and Bill for an Act to establish the Forensic DNA Database in Nigeria.

Another Bill for an Act to Establish the National Council of Radiology and Radiation Medicine and Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal College of Dental Technology as well Therapy Act which was recently signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Apart from so many other bills in other areas, Hon (Dr.) Asadu also sponsored such key motions as the Motion on the Urgent need to investigate the non-implementation of the 2015 Capital budget by the Executive which eventually made the executive to execute that budget from near zero level of implementation at the date of the motion to about the highest percentage of capital budget implementation under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration so far.

His Community, Constituency and Philanthropic and infrastructural achievements include but are not limited to widowhood support for poor widows in his Constituency and beyond, as well providing for all the most elderly men and women in all the almost 2000 villages of his constituency.

He is sponsoring football tournaments for all 36 wards in his constituency, and providing completely free medical and surgical services at regular intervals to all those in need of treatment in his constituency from 2007 to date;

sponsoring regular training and empowerment of his constituents with completely free grants as start-up capitals after each training and/or the provision of necessary tools like sewing machines, hair barbing and salon equipment, provision of food items and basic household goods to thousands of his constituents.

Dr. Patrick Ozokioja Asadu, a practising Christian, a man of impeccable integrity, a foremost lawmaker, a compelling promoter of education, a tireless servant of his people, and above all, an exemplary personality who is more interested to save more souls than win votes has many awards given to him from recogined professional organisations and different groups.

He is happily married and has a wonderful family.