Umeadi A Canada based medical doctor, Dr Chinedu Anthony Umeadi (Agunaechemba Abagana) was the NUJ Man Of The Year 2024. He is a consultant Physician, Academic, Politician, Community leader and Philanthropist. His choice as the 2024 NUJ Anambra Man of The Year was largely determined by the people through a transparent process.
In this interview, Umeadi revealed the significant of the NUJ award to some individuals and personalities, especially how it gave him more visibility in the society.
Since 2024 you have been in the news for winning the 2024 NUJ Anambra Man Of The Year Award what does it mean to you?It is a significant honour to be honoured by the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Anambra state Council as a man of the year in Anambra state. So, the recognition and honour means a lot to me.Would you wish to share with us the impact of the NUJ award on your credibility or influence?Of course I have said it earlier that it is a thing of honour to me being NUJ man of the year. People now respect me more, some people now start checking me up, reading about me, trying to find out why I emerged the NUJ Man of the year 2024. Surely, it increased my visibility and popularity in Anambra state and across the media world. It puts me on the good books of most people because I emerged 2024 NUJ Man of the year because of my charity work. People are now more aware of the charity work I have been doing and how I have been supporting my people and community.
Are there new things we should know you shall embark on or you are planning to do about your NGO or aspirations you have, moving forward motivated by the award’s success?
Dr. Chinedu Umeadi foundation is a foundation that has been going on for over six years now. We support people in education, carry-out programmes, treat people free. We do health outreach programmes and support people in poverty. We have an ongoing quiz competition, some people were thinking that what I was doing in 2023 during which I contested for senate in Anambra Central through the Young Progressive Party was for politics. That gesture will not end. It will continue every year. The next event is already happening and was just concluded. We only have the finals of the quiz competition coming up. The award presentation ceremony is coming up too. So it will not end there, we will continue our charity programmes. What the award has done to me is encouragement. It is a part at the back, which means to continue with the good work we are doing. Just as I will say that everything depends on the resources available to me. So long as God continues to bless me with funds, I will continue to expand what we are doing through Dr. Chinedu Umeadi foundation.
How has receiving the NUJ award contributed to your personal growth or professional development or societal influence?
Of course it has contributed to my personal growth and professional development. It is an accolade that people get and this one is the greatest of them all. Anything that has to do with the whole state is a big one. The Nigeria Union of Journalists is a great body, they are media people. So if the media people say you are the man of the year, that is a big honour. It has been added to my CV where people see it. So, to me, it is an honour to my professional career. What it has added is that I do some extra things outside my profession and my own people, people from Nigeria and across the globe, people in my community, people here in Canada and Nigeria recognise what I do. It is a simple description that I am an honourable man and I do a lot for the society at large.
What are your words of encouragement to NUJ Anambra State council under Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu PhD?
My words of encouragement to them is to keep up the good work they are doing. They are doing a good job. They are honourable and transparent people. I encourage them to continue what they are doing without fear or favour and not to change anything. Let them continue bringing everybody into what they are doing. Let them remain transparent as transparency remains the biggest honour in what one does, being honest to people. If you are doing your selection process, let it be open. You guys are really doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work.
What’s your political ambition like in this dispensation and what informed the decision?
I am currently the leader of Young Progressives Party, YPP in Anambra state. My focus now is to put my Party in order, making it a formidable party and a strong platform for people that wants to contest election in Anambra state. For now, that is my role in politics. I will make statement when I want to make statement regarding what is happening in our community. What is coming up now is gubernatorial election and we are all watching closely to see how that goes in terms of politics of the future, I am still watching and observing and will get to make a decision on what to do next. I contested for senate in Anambra Central during the last general election. I still have an eye on that but yet to make final decision. At the right time, I will make it public.You are into human empowerment and educational promotions, what informed that in your NGO and what’s your vision going further? And what have you done so far?I had always been a person who helps people. That has been my hubby as a human being, starting from when I was in Primary school, secondary school when I always share my things with people. I always feel bad when I see other people suffering. Any little I had in those days I share it with people. When I got into the university I was involved in different groups and associations, trying to ensure fairness and equity . It is always very important to me, seeing people being treated unfairly upsets me . Then I went into being a medical doctor, training as a doctor on its own is a charity work because it’s a way of helping and supporting people and that is exactly what I do. So, when I started earning some money, I decided I will be setting aside some of my funds for supporting the less privileged in the society and that is what I have continued to do hoping that more money will continue coming my way so that I will continue supporting people and when I do this, I always expected that there will be other people who will be looking at me and see what I do and will be able to inspire them so that they can also join me in supporting others.Recently you celebrated your golden age, as a fulfilled medical doctor, what will be your focus going forward
In June this year, I climbed to the 5th floor of my life, getting to the 5th decade of my life. I thank God for His kindness and blessings on me over the years. I have done my best as a human being, worked hard, done everything I was taught to do by my good parents and good people around that trained and nurtured me into a full adult, God fearing and a man who is respectful to the rule of law. I thank all of them and I am grateful. As I am getting into the 5th decade of my life, the most important thing I ask of God is a continued good health which is the most important thing to me in my life and God has been faithful and good to me. With good health So far, I have been able to work hard, make good amount of money to be able to take care of myself and support people.
As I get into the 5th floor, I can say that I have done well over half of my life. I will now start winding down, hoping to retire from active medical service in the next few years and focus more on services to humanity and getting involved in governance in Nigeria and contribute in making our place a better place in whatever capacity I can. I have a foundation which I am already using to support humanity. We will continue expanding that and do more work. I also hope to get into some political position. I have contested before but it didn’t work out and I will be going back again. I am interested in making Anambra state a better place and I will do that in whatever capacity I can.
My focus going forward for the remaining of my life is supporting my community, humanity and help to make my Anambra state and Nigeria better. I have mentored younger people for quite some years now since I became a consultant in medicine and I will continue to do that. I will continue to do that not just in the medical field but in other areas of life. These are my focus in life and I thank everyone who have supported me over the cost of my life. I remain grateful.
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