DR. JAP OKOLO : I DIDNT KNOW THIS MAN IS FROM ANAMBRA STATE
BY Mazi Omife I. Omife (MON) Mbuze Mbaukwu
I had no idea that Dr. JAP Okolo is from Oraifite, in our own Anambra State. I presumed he was a native of Ebonyi State. That was in the early 2000’s when I was frequently at Abakaliki during my days as South East cum Anambra State coordinator of Obasanjo Solidarity Forum (OSF).
At that period, the name Dr. JAP Okolo was a house hold name in Ebonyi State where he was serving as a Special Adviser on Political Matters and member of the State Executive Committee of Ebonyi State, under Dr. Sam Egwu administration. His name was everywhere then as one of the best performing Cabinet Members in Ebonyi State. Little did I know all that glory was to my own brother.
It was much later when Dr. JAP Okolo became the National President of ASATU that I came to know he is from Oraifite and the then serving President-General of his community, Oraifite. I told people then that this man was going to bring surprises in the affairs of ASATU. Knowing the wonders he did in Ebonyi State, I had no doubt that he would replicate same in his own home State.
Leaders are born, not made, says a popular adage. In this context, leadership attribute is innate, not acquired. As arguable as this assertion may be, there is no doubt that some people possess and exhibit extraordinary leadership skills, particularly where leadership is defined as the sacrificing of oneself at every given time and place in the realization of a common good, whether it is a community, an association, or a State.
In this regard, Dr. JAP Okolo has demonstrated that leadership is an in-born social, mental, moral and even spiritual attribute which drives towards the good of society and humanity at every level of their social experience.
Dr. JAP Okolo has proved that leadership is not only a skill but also a call, call it a vocation to serve society and humanity, in terms of problem solving and agents of change, innovation, and social and economic transformation of society, which is what leadership is all about.
From the earliest period of his youth, Dr. JAP Okolo has time and again proven himself to be a man with the ability to identify problems and the ideas to fix those problems and achieve a more positive goal at every given time and place. He has proven himself now and again as a young man with grand visions and capabilities to transform negative and bad situations to acceptable standards.
Dr. JAP Okolo’s ability to positively transform every negative circumstance spans across several leadership experiences, ranging from CKC Old Boys Association and the Nigeria Federation of Catholic Students as a medical student in University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC) in the early eighties and as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee that kick-started the Ebonyi State Poultry Farm Complex which was then rated the biggest poultry farm in the South-east. That was the time he served as a Special Adviser to the then Governor of Ebonyi State, H.E. Senator Dr. Sam Egwu. That was the first time I heard about him.
Under his watch and supervision by technical partners from TUNS Poultry Farms, the farm started from pullets and broilers departments to hatchery and slaughter departments and finally to poultry feeds mill and parent stock departments. In less than 2 years, all the sections became functional, while the staff strength rose from 50 to 250, comprising different categories of workers in the profession.
However, the committee was dissolved after 2 years and a veterinary doctor appointed as a sole administrator of the farm and within a space of less than 2years, the farm became moribund and could not pay the salaries of about 50 remaining staff and was eventually closed down. That project showcased the astute managerial capabilities and financial prudence of Dr JAP as he is fondly known.
Dr. JAP replicated this exceptional prudent financial management in other places. As a 4th year medical student, Dr JAP was the treasurer of University of Nigeria Medical Students Association (UNMSA) and served as the Treasurer/Financial Secretary of Organizing Committee of Nigerian Medical Students Association (NIMSA) Games which was hosted by UNMSA at Enugu. UNMSA raised funds from the different parts of the country to host a befitting and well organized national games. The Chairman of the Organizing Committee was H.E. Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani who was then a 3rd year medical student and the Vice Chairman of UNMSA.
Unfortunately, at the end of the games, a group of students petitioned the then Dean of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine, Enugu, Prof Ohaegbulam alleging that the Organizing Committee members embezzled a substantial part of the money they raised for the games and members of the committee were summoned by the Dean who wasted no time in demanding for a written financial report on the organization of the Games within 48hours, failing which all the members would risk being rusticated by the College.
Members immediately swung into action and reports were demanded by the Chairman from all the Chairmen of all subcommittees. It was indeed the accurate financial records and documentations kept by Dr JAP that saved the entire members and within the stipulated 48hrs deadline, the Dean received a 32-page report on the Games.
On the day the Dean invited the members after studying the report, he praised the entire committee members and openly declared that he was not only satisfied with the report but was also proud to have them as his students, saying jokingly, “I never knew that I have astute politicians as students in this college”.
Dr. JAP’s transparency in the handling of the affairs of any organization he heads has become legendary both in the medical profession as a private medical practitioner and in the public sphere. During his tenure as the President-General of Oraifite, Dr JAP left his footprint on the sands of times at the Oraifite Improvement Union secretariat which he transformed into a tourist attraction by the beautiful landscaping, fencing, interlocking of the driveway and erection of a magnificent pavilion with about 500 beautiful executive collapsible seats within his three years tenure.
As a philosophy of life, Dr. JAP strongly believes that service to one’s community is a call to sacrifice for one’s people. One of the most impactful leadership assets during his tenure was selfless service and prudent management of fund, which reflected in his unprecedented and unequalled record of achievement in the annals of Oraifite Town Union leadership.
He performed similar feat during his tenure as ASATU president. ASATU was about 20 years old when Dr. JAP was elected the 5th National President of the body. Throughout his 3years tenure, he used to ensure that any kobo received by the officers of the organization was paid into the coffers of the Association.
It was he who got the Association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, thus making it a legal entity. Previous regimes had organized fund raising ceremonies for the building of a Secretariat for the Association but nothing concrete was achieved. Dr J.A.P and his team organized a fund raising project and the State Government under Chief Willie Obiano allocated a 500ft × 150ft plot of land in a layout at Mgbakwu.
Dr J.A.P Okolo and his team embarked upon the project by first hiring a bulldozer to open up the road to the layout and before the completion of his three years tenure, he had completed the fencing of the land along with mounting of the entrance and exit gates and the completion of the foundation of a 1000 seating capacity hall with an adjoining office complex. About N3 million worth of rods had already been purchased and kept at the site for the project before he handed over.
It is disheartening that till date, none of his two successors has dropped a piece of block at the site named after the founder of ASATU, late Barr Chimezie Ikeazor.
Because of JAP’s transparency and prudent financial management, some ASATU members branded him as stingy and high handed. As he himself once acknowledged openly, “I am used to being branded a despot or a stingy man. But this does not disturb me. After all, I am not expected to be generous with what does not belong to me. The earlier one understood that public fund is money contributed by both the poor and the rich for everybody, the sooner a better society is realized. Even Robin Hood that stole from the rich to distribute to the poor was far better than most of us that steal from both the rich and the poor just for ourselves and for self aggrandizement”.
Even on occasions he paid scheduled official visits with some members of the Executive Committee, to Governor Willie Obiano , Dr JAP would insist on paying into the organization’s bank account any amount given to them as kola nut to the disappointment of some members of his entourage. He was always ready to explain that the host gave them such amount because of the Association they represented and as representatives they owed their members a duty to present accurate account of their visit. Actually it was during his tenure that members knew for the first time that the Governor could give money to the Organization during such visits.
I once asked Dr JAP Okolo the secret of how he was able to have the majority of members of the Executive Committee on his side throughout his tenure. His reply was that simple.
“Most people are innately good. However, one needs to strike the right cord to resonate those good qualities. Every leader attracts the type of people he deserves. In other words, a good leader with good intentions and good qualities will receive the support of good people as well as the support of the majority who most often sit on the fence, ready to give their support which is usually dependent on what the leader professes and manifests. But the few bad eggs who cannot afford to join the bandwagon will retract in their shells waiting for the right time to truncate the system, most often with baseless allegations”.
True to his assertion, I recall vividly when two members of the Executive Committee of ASATU conspired to tarnish his image by publicizing through the social media an unsigned allegation that ASATU generated N10m Naira out of which only N6m could be accounted for. Almost all the members expected Dr JAP to start denying the allegation but to the consternation of everyone, he called for the immediate auditing of the accounts by the appropriate officials. At the end of the exercise, members were marveled to learn from the audit that ASATU had over N17m in her account. Those members of the Executive Committee that peddled that rumour were to be removed from the executive but for the timely intervention of the National President, Dr JAP. They were rather asked to apologize in writing.
That is Dr. JAP Okolo for you.
It is no surprise that Dr. JAP bagged a distinguished award of “Icon of Community Service ” from Anambra State Government, from Anambra State Government, in 2017. Just as he bagged the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Healthcare Merit Award by NMA, Ebonyi State Branch in 2021, among a chain of other national and international accolades.
No doubt, history and posterity will forever bear testimony and give honour and glory to Dr. JAP Okolo’s quintessential leadership legacies, past present and future.
