Garlands For Dr. Gideon Osi Chidiebere a.k.a The GOC by Arinze Igboeli

As Dr. Gideon Osi Chidiebere also known as GOC receives the Commonwealth Ambassadors  Award, a garland I much consider well deserved, it is my belief that I will be doing a great disservice to myself and millions of Nigerian youths if I do not celebrate this young man and friend of mine.
Born in 1979 in Ishiagu, Ebonyi State born Dr. Osi had his primary and secondary education in Minna, where he so excelled brilliantly in his studies that he was appointed as Headboy of both his primary and secondary schools.
He then moved on to the University of Benin to study medicine, where again he  was outstanding in his studies bagging the MBBS. As  a notable student, Dr. Osi did not only make his mark in academics alone he also proved his mettle as a student leader and activist emerging as Speaker of the Students Union Parliament. As Speaker he deployed his leadership abilities to the point that the school authorities would always seek his opinion on matters that affected the ordinary student, he was such a household name that students would not move on a particular struggle if GOC wasn’t involved.
On graduating from the University of Benin , he quickly found employment with the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre, (WHARC) a leading NGO in Sub Saharan Africa from where he proceeded to the Federal Staff Hospital of the Federal Ministry of Health Annex II, Abuja as a Medical Officer where he distinguished himself in remarkable Doctor -Patient relations and institutionalized the 24-hour Service Plan. Following his outstanding records of performance, he was invited to head the medical team of  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). As the Head of the medical team, he designed and institutionalized the staff fitness program as well as the guest lecture series on health and other topical issues at the EFCC Academy, Karu-Abuja.

Not long after GOC was appointed as the  Principal Manager for Standard and Quality Assurance(SQA) by the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS), Abuja where he participated in the accreditation of healthcare providers and Health Maintenance Organization , (HMO’s ) all over Nigeria and assisted the scheme in the development of the Performance Management Protocol.
Owing to the nation’s high maternal and child mortality rates, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan set up in 2012 the SURE-P MCH as a component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program. Technocrats were needed for this great assignment and GOC was approached  to help effectively implement the project where he was the coordinator for Medical Logistics and Health Facility Maintenance and Upgrade and was instrumental to the establishment of the National Logistics Management Information System of the program with technical support from USAID/DELIVER PROJECT. The SURE-P MCH remains the largest single intervention program on maternal and child health in the sub region with the supply of free drugs and medical consumables among other interventions in the 1000 PHCs across the 36 states and FCT resulting in the reduction of maternal and Child mortality rate within three (3) years. This intervention through the Conditional Cash Transfer, (CCT), first of its kind for pregnant women was able to assist several families, thus increasing Antenatal visits especially among rural women.
 As a young Medical Doctor at the age of 30, Gideon pioneered a novel community service scheme providing access to education through his scholarship and educational Support Program. Through this programme he has provided succour and shelter to orphans and widows as well as given assistance to many vulnerable groups in need of it.
 In just five years post- graduation, he is the most quoted community advocate, peace ambassador and youth negotiator in the South East Region of Nigeria, a demonstration of his core leadership skills. His current membership of the Orient Club of Nigeria where he is the Vice-President is in leading high level advocacy for ethnic harmonization, building bridges across ethnic difference and improving political participation without crisis.
It becomes obvious that Franklin .D. Roosevelt, a former president of the United States of America, an orator and philosopher of great acclaim, had the likes of GOC in mind when he wrote: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." Not satisfied GOC decided to expand his generosity and kindness in appreciation to God and founded the “Gideon and Joy Life and Leadership Foundation”, a Nigerian based and privately funded philanthropic organisation dedicated to the promotion of excellence in Health services, youth’s development, skills acquisition, business leadership, entrepreneurship training and good governance.
His vision as the President of the foundation is to enhance social capital development and informed political participation through mentoring/leadership training, free medical missions, Youths Development, Adolescents guides, Health programs, Educational support program and improve the competitiveness of National and Africa’s private sector participation in Health and good governance.
A restless young man, GOC believes very much in the reorientation of the Nigerian youth and development; he is indeed a budding bridge builder and a detribalised Nigerian with novel initiatives focused on building a new Nigeria that will revolve around private sector participation and high level capacity development for the youths and their communities.

Arinze Igboeli wrote via [email protected]

No 1and 2. Photo of Dr Gideon Osi Chidiebere  ( GOC).
No 3.  Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, Fmr. Deputy Senate President decorating the commonwealth Ambassador.