Professor OZOVEHE MIKE Ogirima, mni was born on January 7, 1962. He is the fourth and first male child of Late Mallam Ahmadu Ogirima and Hajiya Rukaya Onjimoh Ogirima of Otutu ward Okene town. Events of life have however entrusted the leadership of Ahmadu Ogirima’s family on this man from a tender age. This position he has maintained with dedication, humility and candour through his unalloyed faith in Almighty God.

EDUCATION

He had his early education at the Roman Catholic Mission (North) School at Okene and had his secondary school education variously at Fatima College, Ekan-Meje in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State and St. Augustine’s College, Kabba in Kwara and Kogi State respectively. He had his Higher School Certificate (University of Cambridge, GCE A’Level) from the School of Basic Studies, Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin in June 1982. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as Medical Doctor in 1987. He had his postgraduate specialist medical training in Nigeria and several countries like Germany, USA, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

He is a Fellow of several national and international professional bodies by examination and recognition. These include Fellow of the Medical College of Surgeons of Nigeria (FMCS), Fellow of International College of Surgeons (FICS, USA), Fellow of the Association for the study of Internal Fixation of Fractures (FAOI), Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS), Fellow Medical College of Orthopaedics (FMCOrth.), International Affiliate Member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (IAM, AAOS) and Member, International Society of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgeons (SICOT, Belgium). He earned the prestigious award of member of the National Institute, Kuru (mni) from Senior Executive Course 41, 2019.

WORKING EXPERIENCE

Prof. Ozovehe Mike Ogirima, mni did his mandatory National Youth Service in Rivers State during the 1988/89 service year after his professional Housemanship at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in Kano. He then served consecutively at National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala, Kano, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos and National Orthopaedic hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.

He was appointed as Lecturer I and Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon at ABU, Zaria in January 1998. He was promoted to the rank of Professor of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery by the authority of ABU, Zaria in October 2010. While in ABU, he rose through his career as Head of Department for two terms, Deputy Dean and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (now College of Medical Sciences) of the Institution. He also worked in various places within and outside the country in this capacity as Accounts Clerk at Ajaokuta Steel Project, Teacher at Community Secondary School, Ogaminana, Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) programme Instructor of American College of surgeons and Surgeon. He is a member of the Faculty Board of Orthopaedics of the National Postgraduate medical College and an Examiner in orthopaedics and trauma surgery of both the National and West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges. He loves spending his leisure time in overseeing Skills (Specialist Clinics), a private institution in Kaduna. He has over one hundred publications in peer review journals, conference proceedings, books of abstracts and monographs. He has attended over hundred international and national conferences.

PROFESSIONAL POLITICS

He is a unionist and at one time he was the Secretary General and then the Chairman of Kaduna State branch of Nigerian Medical Association. He also served as chairman of some committees of national Executive Council of Nigerian Medical Association and as National President of both Nigerian Medical Association 2016-2018 tenure. He rose through the various Executive Offices in Nigerian Orthopaedic Association ending as the National President in 2013-2017.

He is a member of several NGOs some of which he co-founded. These include Front for Ebira Solidarity (FES), Peoples Initiative Foundation (PIF), The Peers Club, Photons Club, Kogi Central Senatorial Forum, Kogi Central Civil Societies Group, Kogi Central Political Emancipation Group, etc. He is a patron to some NGOs and Charity organisations among which is Mentors Club of Nigeria.

As an undergraduate, he served as his Class Representative for three consecutive years before graduating in 1987  and Chairman Student Representative Council of ABUMSA, because of his leadership style. He was the pioneer Secretary of Kwara State Medical Students Association, ABU Branch (KWAMSA) in 1986.

He served in some tertiary health institutions’ boards among which was the board of management of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala-Kano between 2009 and 2011 representing the interests of the Medical Doctors; Chairman, Kogi State Technical and technological education board (STTEB) from 2012 to 2015. He is a member of board of management of National Hospital, Abuja. Member, Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel, 2018 to date; Examiner at Medical and Dental Council Assessment Examination for Foreign Medical Graduates, 2019 to date.

AWARDS

He is a man of distinctions in all his life engagements. Best graduating student of St. Augustine’s College, Kabba, Kogi State in 1980. He won the prizes in almost all the core science subjects in St. Augustine’s College, Kabba in 1980. George Edington’s prize in Pathology for the best graduating Medical Student in Pathology of ABU in 1987.

Among the several awards he won was the President’s National NYSC Honours Award in 1989 for the best Corper in Rivers State; Recipient of Rivers State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Chairman’s award for the best most loyal and dedicated corps member during the 1988/89 service year; Best corps member during the 1988/89 service year in River State; Merit Award in 1997 by Social Front of Ebira, Lagos; awarded a Member of Honours’ Roll of Association of Resident Doctors, National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi-Lagos branch in 1997; Awarded AO Scholarship as a Fellow at Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery Department of Universitat Kilinikum, Ulm, Germany in 2002 and Kogi State Media Foundation’s Special Honours Award as a worthy Ambassador of Kogi State in 2010.

He also had several certificates of commendation from numerous organizations and Communities/Centres he worked as dedicated and trustworthy Physician of repute.

He has led the Medical Teams on two occasions for the Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 2003 for Kaduna State and in 2008 for Kogi State.

He was honoured by St. Clement Society of his local church (CKC, Okene) during the first historic parish honours award for his outstanding contribution towards the growth of the parish in 2012. He is widely travelled.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

He coordinated the first indigenous free medical mission to Kogi Central in 2003 where various medical experts drawn from many countries were accommodated in Okene for one week of free medical and surgical services at the Okene General Hospital. This humanitarian mission which was generally applauded by all and sundry provided succor to the indigent individuals in the area. He is the Director of Operations to Mark Anumah Medical Missions (MAMMS).

A lover of his community, Prof. Ogirima has always been involved in community mobilisation for development. Right from childhood, he had participated actively in self-help projects of Otutu/Idogido ward. He has just donated to the ward some items to step-up the voltage from the PHCN network and sunk a borehole for his community.

From the time he graduated as Medical Doctor even with meager resources he offered scholarships to deserving children (siblings and non-siblings) from Ebiraland who are at various positions in life as Medical Doctors, Engineers, Administrators, Economists and Lawyers etc. This stems from his philosophy of putting high premium on human capital development for the nation in general.

He facilitated several admissions to numerous students into several higher institutions of learning. He continuously empowers close associates and the less privileged in the society for SMEs.

PRIVATE LIFE

He fears no being in human flesh but GOD! He is happily married with six children. He loves listening to trado-cultural gospel music of any tribe and race. He loves discussing politics with like minds and loves exploring men’s potentials. He would like to leave every contact he makes in life with a smile.

Professor Ozovehe Mike Ogirima during his presentation before FUL Senate on Thursday, 27th May, 2021