NEWS
NIGERIA
This Day
Hon. Chudi Uwazurike represents Ehime Mbano/Ihitte-Uboma/Obowo/Okigwe South Federal Constituency area of Imo State in the House of Representatives. To relax, he told Anayo Okolie that he indulges in his favourite sport, lawn tennis, amongst other activities
Professor Chudi Uwazurike is not a tenderfoot in politics. He was elected member of the House of Representatives in 2011 because his people of Ehime Mbano/Ihitte-Uboma/Obowo/Okigwe South Federal Constituency area of in Imo State were pleased with his records.
His dint of hard work covers the academia, journalism and legislature. This has also earned him such degrees as PhD in Political Sociology from Harvard University, MSc. in Mass Communications on Sociology and Anthropology from Lagos University, and a First Class result in Bachelor of Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
As a novelist, playwright has also brought his way, immense relevance both locally and on the world stage. On the academic front, he has lectured at known institutions in the world like the Southern University at New Orleans, Tufts School of Diplomacy, US State Department Institute of Peace, the UN Institute for Research and Training, amongst other schools.
The lawmaker who also put in a lot of years in journalism had traversed such institutions as the Daily Times, Concord, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Nigerian Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC). As a lawmaker, he had sat on key legislative committees like Appropriations Committee, Working Group on National Institute on Legislative Studies, member of the FCT Committee, member of Communications Committee and an Associate on the Diaspora Committee, among others.
With his intimidating credentials, vibrancy and people-oriented bills, Prof as he is often called by close friends, has enjoyed the support of his people. Unfortunately, such activities are prone to health risk and this is why he has come up with past times that would mellow down the effect of the stress of work. And one of such things is playing lawn tennis.
“When I am not politicking, I relax in many ways. I am a long tennis player but very clearly, I enjoy the company of friends, especially those with foreign affairs orientation who also dream of Nigeria as world power. I also relax by watching old news reels of world war I, world war II, to know what were the main causes of the wars and I begin to imagine or play mind games over whether if Africa can really face it if it erupts when they are busy killing themselves like the issue of Boko Haram,” he said.
As a writer by vocation and also a social scientist, Uwazurike said: “I have written novels, plays, poetries and short stories. By commitment, I am a Pan-Africanist; I am somebody who strongly believes that Africa is not prepared for the big time because we are not fully prepared for the 21 century. I started writting when I was a student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“But most importantly, also I spend good times with my family. My children are adults; they all work. When we are together, we tell stories and chat because that is the only forum where you remember how it was because you tell stories of their uncles, grandparents, about our generation and their own carries. So, it is fun being with them,” he said.
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