Politician OLISA METUH Full Biography,Life And Career

Akinola | 16th January 2016 | African Music | No Comments

FULL NAME:           Olisa Metuh
DATE OF BIRTH:
OCCUPATION:     Politician, Lawyer.
MARITAL STATUS:

Married

INTRODUCTION

Olisa Metuh is a Nigerian Lawyer, Politician and as of 2016 the curent National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party.

EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND

Born to a fourth generation law officer, Chief J.N. Metuh, Olisa is
from Otolo Nnewi in Anambra State. He grew up in a Christian family of
six children raised under the strict doctrine of Catholicism both in
principle and in practice. His father was a foremost legal attorney,
strict disciplinarian, community activist, philanthropist, and a life
coach. His mother (who died at a very young age) was a model
headmistress and devout catholic.

Olisa
Metuh had his primary school education in Abakaliki and secondary
education at the premier Christ the Kings College (CKC) Onitsha. After
successfully completing his secondary education, he was admitted into
the Ivy League University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu campus where he
graduated with a degree in Law. Olisa was called to the bar in 1988
after completing the Nigerian law school and served in the Ministry of
Justice in River State for his National Youth Service corp.

He started his law practice in his father’s law firm, Olisianunba
Chambers. However, in 1990, he went on to start a partnership firm,
Metuh, Okafor & Associates with four other lawyers in the
prestigious Western House in Lagos and subsequently became the managing
solicitor. The firm was one of the pioneers of modern corporate law
practice and had all outfits fully computerized. They aggressively
represented major first generation banks and public quoted companies. In
addition many notable Nigerians and other private companies retained
the services of this young and thriving law firm as their reputation
grew.

In 1991 Olisa became the chairman of Legend Properties Limited, a
property management firm in active real estate business till date. His
interest in capital market and share acquisition dated back to 1990 when
he started trading with his own money and by 1992, he became registered
as an Investment Adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) and was active with the Nigerian Stock Exchange. His success in
the stock market awakened the interest of many of his peers in this
field.

In 1996, he started his own Law Firm, Olisa Metuh and Co and provided
many young lawyers the opportunity to provide services in legal
practice, real estate and share acquisitions and other investments in
the capital market. He is a member of Nigerian Bar Association,
International Bar Association, and Association of Business Lawyers of
Nigeria. Barrister Olisa Metuh started his political career in 1998 as
the Director of an organization called the Igbo United Congress (IUC).
He was also a member of the finance committee of People’s National Forum
(PNF) the umbrella body that facilitated the integration of
Southeasterners into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Olisa along
with many young progressives led the New Era Movement into PDP. He
became a pioneer member of the national finance committee of the PDP.

POLITICAL CAREER

In November 1999 at the first National Convention of the PDP, Olisa
contested and won election as an Ex-Officio member of the highest ruling
organ, National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP. He was and still
remains one of the youngest officers to be elected in the history of
the party.

Subsequently he was made the first Youth Leader of the
Southeast zone. Efficiently combining the many duties of a NEC member
and Zonal Youth Leader highlighted the many talents of Olisa Metuh as he
actively projected the plights of the Southeast with his novel
programmes such as the Southeast reconciliation and rehabilitation
Action Committee (SERRAC). As the chairman of SERRAC, he involved many
of the present generation of Igbo leaders in activism, most of who are
now occupying positions at the highest level in the Executive and
Legislative arm of the government both at the national and state levels.
One of the many successes of SERRAC was the submission of the Southeast
reconstruction bill to the national assembly in 2001; this bill was
modeled after the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

At
the national level of the PDP, Olisa Metuh acted as the Secretary of
the National Peace and Reconciliatory Committee of the PDP in the year
2000.

In 2001 he was re-elected as an Ex- Officio member
of the NEC at the national convention. In 2002, he became the Chairman
of the Cross River State Electoral Panel. In 2005, he was made a member
of the PDP reform committee and PDP constitutional amendment committee,
one of the 14-man panel that was charged with the duty of reviewing and
making recommendations for the party’s constitutional amendments. It is
worthy of note that the constitution that was adopted after that
exercise is still the constitution of the party till date. He was
subsequently re-elected as a member of National Executive Committee in
the PDP National Convention of the party in 2005.

In 2006, Olisa was appointed the Chairman of Abia State Electoral
Panel and supervised all the primaries in Abia State. Olisa was made a
National Auditor in 2007 and automatically became a member of the
National Working Committee. In 2008, he contested and won election as
the National Vice Chairman of the Party for southeast zone. As the
National Vice Chairman for southeast, he has pioneered party members and
elected officers in the zone to work in cohesion at all levels.

It is important to note that Mr. Olisa Metuh is the longest and the
youngest serving elected member of national executive committee of the
PDP. This is quite remarkable as well as exceptional in view of the fact
that southeast zone where he represents ranks highest in petition
writings, court injunctions and actions, frivolous and false
publications of various nature, resignations of national officers from
the zone due to one allegation or another. The traditional ruler of
Ancient kingdom of Nnewi, His Royal Highness Igwe Kenneth Orizu in
recognition of his many achievements and contributions to his community
conferred the title of Ugochidebelu Nnewi on him making him one of the youngest Nnewi sons to be conferred with such honor.

Chief Olisa Metuh is married to Kanayo Olisa Metuh and the family is
blessed with three beautiful children Derrick, Chidera and Chidiogo.
When Chief Olisa Metuh is not engaged in political activities, he spends
quality time with his family.

He began his political career as the coordinator of the Igbo United Congress. While serving in that capacity, he was also a member of the finance committee of People’s National Forum (PNF). He served as a pioneer member of the national finance committee of the People’s Democratic Party.
On November 1999, at the first National Convention of the PDP, he was
elected as Ex-Officio member of the National Executive Committee (NEC)
of the party. He later acted as the Secretary of the National Peace and Reconciliatory Committee of the party for two years.In 2002, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Cross River State Electoral Panel. He was later appointed as member of the People’s Democratic Party constitution review panel. In 2006, he became the Chairman of Abia State Electoral Panel and also took part in the supervision of all the primaries in Abia State. In 2007, he was appointed as National Auditor and member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)

He was later elected as the National Vice Chairman of the Party for Southeast zone. He his currently serving as the National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party

CONTROVERSIES

In January 5th, 2016, Olisa Metuh was arrested by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, answering questions regarding some
fund (Arms Deal) said to have been traced to his firm.
As of January 14th, 2016, he was still under the custody of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Acting Chairman of the
EFCC Mr. Ibrahim Magu revealed that Mr. Metuh refused to accept the
accusation, while others begun the process of refunding the money in
their possession, Mr. Metuh had refused to do same.

”From the records, Metuh got over N400 million, he has not said
anything because we need the public money to be returned so that it’s
going to be used for public good,” Mr. Magu said during a meeting with
online media publishers in Lagos.