ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR is the highest award on this media platform and every year the event management team takes time to thoroughly assess and put forward a name for this prime award.
Recall that in 2017, the personality of the year was the foremost telecom investor in Nigeria Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex MFR, OON “Ugoena” Abiriba. In 2018, it was a renowned business tycoon Chief Daniel Chimezie Okeke from Ututu in Arochukwu LGA. In 2019, it was the President/CEO Treasure Island Group, Chief Uzo Ihuka ‘Ikeoha’ who is also the president general of Ngwa Patriots.
The line up obviously speaks volume and it tell you the personality of individuals who have received this prime award. These people are tested, trusted and achievers in different fields of endeavor.
After a thorough assessment of personalities put forward in this 4th edition of ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER MEDIA SUMMIT/AWARD EVENT, the event management team have nominated Major General Ijioma N. Ijioma Rtd as ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER (AFNEWS) PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2021. Read full profile below;
Major General Ijioma N. Ijioma (Rtd)
Major General Ijioma N. Ijioma (Rtd) was born on the 12th day of June, 1963 into the family of Chief James Ijioma Igbe and Chief Mrs. Grace Akajiaku Ijioma, both of blessed memory.
He is a native boy of Amaokayi Compound, Umuokwe Umuhu Ezechi in Bende Local Government Area, Abia State in Nigeria, West Africa.
In 1970, he enlisted into Ezechi Primary School Umuhu Ezechi from where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1976 with a Distinction. He gained admission into Abam High School, Ozu Abam, in 1976 but later transferred to Igbere Secondary School, Igbere, in 1979 from where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1981.
On July 4, 1983, General Ijioma was admitted into the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA), Kaduna, for his officer cadet training as a member of the 34th Regular Course.
On the 28th day of June 1986, he graduated from NDA and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army infantry corps in the rank of second lieutenant and was subsequently posted to 83 Mechanized Battalion Lokoja. In service, the General obtained his B.Sc. with honors in political science from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, M. Sc. in strategic studies with Distinction from the University of Ibadan and his Ph.D. is in view from the Galilee International Management Institute in Israel. He successfully passed all his promotion examinations at First Attempt and rose to the rank of major general on November 21, 2014, having never missed any promotion at First Attempt.
During his career in the military, the General attended several courses at home and overseas, some of which includes the mortar platoon commanders’ and second-in-command course at United Kingdom School of Infantry, Netheravon, Wiltshire District, in 1991, Young Officers’ Course (Infantry), Junior and Senior Command and Staff Course, at Jaji, Nigeria. Others were the National Defence College Course Number 18 in Nigeria from 2009 to 2010 and the National Security Course at the Galilee International Management Institute (GMI), Israel, in 2012. The General held both staff, instructor, and command appointments. He was an instructor at the rank of a major at the Nigeria Defense Academy for four years before proceeding for his senior staff college course in year 2000.
He was the Chief Instructor Peace Keeping Wing from 2008 to 2009 when he proceeded to the Pearson International Peacekeeping Centre at Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2009 for the senior management course on integrated peace mission.
He was a staff officer at Army headquarters for eleven years, from 2002 to 2013, through the rank of major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general.
As a brigadier general, he was both the commander sector South, as well as the Nigerian Contingent Commander of the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Sudan (October 5, 2013-December 30, 2014) where he distinguished himself with laurels. Upon returning to Nigeria in 2014 after his promotion to the rank of major general while in the mission, he was appointed the director of operations at Army Headquarters, Abuja.
The General saw active service in various theatres of operations. He participated as a young officer (lieutenant) in the liberation of Liberia 1990 under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African Group (ECOMOG), and in 1992 as a captain, he also fought in the same theatre where he earned the “Purple Heart” medal for battlefield injury. He saw action in Darfur, Sudan, as both sector commander and contingent commander and in the North East of Nigeria as director of operations for the Nigerian army which decimated the insurgents (Boko Haram) and made the 2015 General Election in Nigeria possible. In May 2015, he served at the Defence Headquarters as Director of Civil Military Affairs (DCMR). He was retired from the Nigerian Army on June 9, 2016 on the rank of major general after a period of thirty-three years of meritorious service.
Major General Ijioma N. Ijioma (Rtd) is the author of “MY HOLY BIBLE EXTRACTS OF 1,401 POWERFUL VERSES” first and second edition which are currently selling via www.amazon.com and www.barnnesandnoble.com. The first edition was released in August 2020 in the United States of America, while the second edition was equally released in the United States of America in November 2021.
General ljioma is the Founder of IJIOMA NEW DEAL FOUNDATION (INDF) with Headquarters at No. 6A Factory Road Umuahia, he is also the Founder of IJIOMA LEADERSHIP AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (ILAYDA) with Headquarters at No. 49 Macaulay Street, Umuahia. Ijioma is a great son of Abia State and a courageous and fearless Abian, who puts Abia first in everything that he does.
He is married to Mrs. Caroline Akudinigbe Ijioma. The marriage is blissfully blessed with seven lovely children, five boys, and two beautiful daughters. He enjoys the game of football, long-distance driving, and reading.
