Biography

Chris Ngige: From medical officer at National Assembly Clinic to stakeholder in Aso Rock

Published

2 years ago

2022/08/24

Sub-editor

Chris Nwabueze Ngige is a retired medical practitioner and a politician who hails from Alor town, Anambra State.

He was born on August 8 1952 to Chief Pius O.Ngige and Mrs Pricilla N. Ngige.

He is currently Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ngige started his professional career as a medical officer at the National Assembly Clinic, where he worked from 1980-1982 before serving as the Physician to the Senate President in 1983.

Education

After his elementary and secondary education, Ngige headed to the University of Nigeria-Nsukka where he bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (BM.BCH) in 1979.

In 1990, he obtained a Diploma in Hospital Management in Peshawar, where he was inducted as a fellow of the Pakistan Institute of Hospital Service.

Career

Ngige started his professional career as a medical officer at the National Assembly Clinic, where he worked from 1980-1982 before serving as the Physician to the Senate President in 1983.

He later served as the Physician of the State House/Federal Government special Guest House from 1985-1990.

Chief Ngige was also a Consultant and Assistant Director in charge of all Federal Medical Centres in Nigeria from 1994-1997.

Later on, he was appointed the Deputy Director of Hospital Services Federal Medical Centres/Teaching Hospitals. A position he held from 1997-1998

From 1996 to 1998, he was a member of the Ministerial Task Force on Completion of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozala, Enugu before he finally announced his retirement from the medical profession and ventured fully into politics.

His transition into politics coincided with the time Nigeria ushered in a democratic government in the fourth republic in 1999. Ngige was one of the founders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He also served as the Assistant National Secretary and Zonal Secretary of the party in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Chris then contested and was elected as the governor of Anambra State in 2003. An election that later became a very controversial one.

It was reported that Chinwoke Mbadinuju won the PDP primary election, but the nomination was given to Chris Ngige.

After his assumption of office, he fell out with some strongholds of his party, and this led to an attempt to oust him from office. Ngige was reportedly kidnapped by a contingent of more than 200 policemen, and a letter of resignation was fabricated in his name and submitted to the state assembly.

The state assembly then demanded that his deputy be sworn in after reading what was allegedly his resignation letter. Later, Ngige called Radio Nigeria to retract the resignation, saying he was being held against his will.

Ngige attributed his problems to Chris Uba, a former political friend and state-level PDP splinter leader. He said that Uba had increased pressure on him to approve payment of three billion naira ($23.62 million), which he claimed was money spent on the governor’s election.

According to Ngige, Uba also desired to appoint all of his personal employees and cabinet members.

To add salt to his injury, in 2005, Chris Ngige’s 2003 election victory was nullified by the election tribunal.

Ngige, however, appealed the nullification, but the annulment was affirmed and Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was declared the winner of the election after three years. He later accepted the annulment in good faith.

In 2010, Chief Ngige contested for the office of the Anambra state governor but lost to Peter Obi, the incumbent at that time.

However, in 2011, Ngige was elected Senator of the Anambra Central Senatorial District as a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but lost his reelection in the following election.

In 2015, Chris Ngige was appointed as the Minister of Labour and Employment by President Muhammadu Buhari and was reappointed to the same position in 2019.