UN POLAC Honours Dr Amaka Obiorah
Oru Leonard
United Nation-Positive Livelihood Award Center (UN-POLAC) Personality of the Week identifies with members’ activities rendered to communities as a social responsibility in terms of peace building, social welfare, skills acquisition programmes and promoting good governance.
It is in this regards that Amb. Dr Cynthia Amaka Obiorah (Nee Obiekwe) bags the excellence recognition of UN-POLAC personality of the week.
Amb. Dr Cynthia Amaka Obiorah (Nee Obiekwe) who emerged as the United Nations-POLAC personality of the week was born in Lagos to Chief and Mrs Ferdinand Obiekwe of Akwuata village in Utuh, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Cynthia is by marriage, a native of Umuonaga village Awka, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
She started her primary education at the ansar-ud-deen primary school Isolo Lagos and later at Temidire primary school, Ladipo where she finished in flying colors with First School Leaving Certificate. Her extraordinary brilliance in primary school earned her a lot of awards and good will from her teachers.
She proceeded thereafter to Okota High School for secondary education. While in Okota High School, Cynthia was not only a trailblazer in academics but an enthusiastic and energetic sports girl and was the one to beat in most sprinter races and even marathons, a feat that was most uncommon for her competitors.
Her overall excellence in academic, athletics and cultural/dance performances saw her representing the school in many Lagos state inter school sports, academic and cultural competitions.
The school in recognition of her sterling qualities made her the Food and Hygiene prefect to take charge of quality of food consumed in the school and ensure good hygienic state of the vendors, a post she so well discharged to the admiration of members of the school management, students and even the vendors.
Back in the 90s when mature men and women were found in secondary school, brilliant Cynthia graduated from secondary school before she turned 15 years.
In pursuit of her life vision, the young Cynthia sat for Jamb in 1989/1990 and gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to study Law for the 1989/1990 session. However, she was a victim of fathers over-bearing influence as her father refused to allow her to go to school to study law because he was biased against lawyers.
By the time he was finally convinced by the persuasions from the few learned uncles and relations, it was late for her as first year students had matriculated. The head of department of Law then, at the University of Nigeria Nsukka seeing her doggedness and determination not to waste any year at home assisted her to switch and secure admission to study Mass Communications at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu the same year.
While in ESUT, Cynthia was so young that most fellow students and lecturers often thought that she was supposed to still be in junior secondary school and always asked what she was looking for in their mature people classes. When everyone eventually came to terms with the fact that she was enrolled into ESUT as Mass Communications student, during the schools matriculation, she was nicknamed “baby of the class”.
Despite her age she was full of wisdom and was of very high moral standing. Cynthia was not only an excellent academic and a morally upright student; she participated fully in other extra-curricular activities like beauty pageant competition. She won the hottest leg on campus competition in 1991.
Cynthia was not only peaceful within herself but to others too, for she is always full of smiles and always the first to greet anyone one she sees notwithstanding age, sex or appearance; She was frequently called in to settle disputes that often emanated among different individuals and groups on campus. That attribute earned her another nickname of “The Peace Maker”.
Cynthia also rehabilitated and transformed the lives of some less privileged hard working young girls who in their bid to make a living and support their siblings were always around the female hostels hustling for manual work from students who in turn pay them peanuts. She became advocates for these girls and rallied around for funds for them and encouraged them to either go to school or started small scale businesses for them.
Cynthia further impacted ESUT in conjunction with other students and staff of mass communication department like Prof. Ike Ndolo and Dr Mma Agbagha by setting up the first and only campus radio station. As a pioneer presenter she enunciated ideas and ideals into the generality of ESUT students.
She graduated from ESUT in flying colors
Cynthia was fortunate not to job hunt in the job market as she was spotted and employed by MI/Smith, an American based International oil servicing company operating in Nigeria, then.
She underwent several training both locally and internationally and had her first Masters degree in Public Relations from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Cynthia’s job experiences exposed her to a lot of Health, Safety and Environmental issues which is not uncommon in the Oil and Gas environment, and that was how she discovered her passion for Safety.
She later moved on to join All-Man Global Services an Indigenous Oil and Gas servicing company and built a credible career in Q.H.S.E. with local and international certification to her credit one of which is International Diploma in Occupational Health, Safety NEBOSH.
Consequent upon her outstanding performance in the MSc program, she was offered a slot in the PhD program of the institute. She doggedly pursued her Doctorate degree and bagged the PhD in Occupational Health, Safety and Environment with the IPS , University of Port Harcourt and now a visiting lecturer to the same institution.
Cynthia is an active and passionate Health & Safety advocate and has made visible and positive impacts on Health, Safety and Environmental issues.
She is a member of many professional bodies including: Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), World Safety Organization, Ergonomics Society of Nigeria and Association of Nigerian Women Safety Professionals. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding presentations and performances.
Cynthia, a woman of many talents and passions, has made strong and positive impacts in the literary world. She has authored two widely read books – “Dynamics of Parenting Styles”, a book that promotes and builds positive and healthier relationships between parents and their children as well as “The Power of a Woman” a book that expresses the inherent positive influences and powers a good woman possesses.
She has also written and published several research papers on the subject of safety in different local and international peer review journals. She is also the founder of HOPE AGLOW CHARITY FOUNDATION.
Dr Cyndy as she is fondly called is one passionate about women, children and the young Adult. She is a positive Influencer, being a voice for the downtrodden and the less privileged but she believes in Women and keeps promoting the affairs of women.
Dr. Cynthia is Peace Ambassador with United Nations POLAC, Director of Women and Children Affairs an office she holds passionately. She was also awarded her 2nd doctorate by UN-POLAC.
Dr. Cynthia not only discovered her passion in Health and Safety, Women and Children but also found true love and married her heartthrob – Prof. Chris Obiorah. They are blessed with wonderful children.
Cynthia’s fame is not only reckoned with in the field of academics and professional practice but also in her home town – Utuh in Nnewi, where in recognition of her numerous contributions to the progress of the town she was awarded the chieftaincy title of “Ada Eji Ejemba 1 of Utuh.” She recently bagged another title of Ada Di Ora Mma in Nnewi South Local government area of Anambra state.
Cynthia is not only a honest hard-worker, but one that is caring, loving, accommodating and very compassionate to people around her, persons she meets in her very active lifestyle but yet very humble, reachable and accessible to everyone. She believes that there is good in everyone.
