When at 50 he was nominatied as the representative of the youths at the National Conference, there was an uproar across Nigeria. Many wondered why he could be classified as a youth. Others saw nothing wrong with it. But nobody questioned his intellectual fecundity. Nobody questioned his patriotism. To the glory of God, he still acquitted himself creditably at the Conference.
That was not his first National controversy. When he ran for governorship in Imo State in 1998, his Political ambition was subjected to a great deal of scrutiny as a result of his ancestry. His political organisation, Greg for Governor ( GMG) was the most dynamic. He defeated Achike Udenwa at the PDP primaries, but he was betrayed and denied the ticket. It was a devastating blow because he was one of the founders and financiers of PDP.
However, as a jolly good fellow, he put the disappointment behind him and jetted to Congo Brazzaville as Nigeria”s Ambassador to that country. Now at Seventy, Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe, a lawyer , economist, politician, enterpreneur and humanist no longer suffers any identity crisis. He is no longer on the shadow of his extraordinary successful and legendary father, Late Dr K O .Mbadiwe.
A native of Ndianiche Uno, Arondizuogu, Onwa Greg Mbadiwe was born in Lagos on March 12th 1955. He lattended St Saviors primary school railway compound Ebute Metta Lagos received his secondary educated at St. Edmund’s College, Old Hall Greene Ware Hertfordshire England. University of New York; the University of Buckingham and the Nigeria Law School. He is Chairman/CEO of Apian Holdings and Investments and Afro Group; A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, former governorship candidate under PDP in Imo State; Director, Research, Strategy and Publicity, Obasanjo Campaign Organization; former chairman of Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC and former Chairman National Bureau of Statistics and
Pro Chancellor
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra State.
A scion of Nigeria’s most flamboyant politician and wordsmith, late Dr. K.O Mbadiwe, Greg, born on March 12, 1955 was exposed early to the corporate world when he took charge of the flourishing family business in 1990. The Afro Properties and Investment Limited and Metropolitan Press Ltd were some of the businesses that dealt on real estate, printing, oil and gas. That was after he obtained a degree in Economics in 1978 from the State University of New York.
After his National Youth Service, he attended Buckingham University, England where he earned a law degree in 1982. Two years after he was called to the Nigerian Bar after graduating from the Nigerian law school in 1984. With 40 years experience as a lawyer, Mbadiwe has traversed the business world not only as a corporate player but management expert.
This invaluable experience came handy when as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Congo between 1999 and 2003, Mbadiwe initiated and executed trade pacts between Nigeria and his host country. Such pacts also benefited Nigerian youth who moved in their hundreds to the Congo to engage in various businesses.
In 1996, he was elected the Assistant National Financial secretary of UNCP while in 1997 he became a founding member and signatory to PDP Formation (National) and co-founder in Imo State. A year later, he was appointed member, National convention, PDP electoral panel, Jos. Unfortunately, pettiness and political horse trading denied him the governorship of Imo State in 1999.
However he was not deterred as he plunged himself into the service of PDP. Even while as Ambassador to Congo, he was drafted home to assist in the re election of President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Director, Research, Planning and Strategy at Legacy House.
He was later appointed a member of the National Reform Conference between 2004 and 2005.
In 2006, he served as a member, PDP Screening Panel, North East for the Gubernatorial and Assembly primaries and also as the chairman, PDP Screening Panel, North West for the National Assembly elections.
He was a member, governing board of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) between 2005 and 2006 and later as the Chairman of FRSC between 2006 and 2007.
In 2004 he was decorated by President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR with
the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Ambassador Mbadiwe who speaks English and French, has also been awarded more than 20 chieftaincy titles across Nigeria while more than two dozen organizations have given him awards.
He is currently a member of the Elders’ Council in Imo State after serving as Chairman, Independent Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Orlu Zone.
Married to a fellow lawyer, Alice with five boys and a girl ,to show for it, all of whom are qualified Lawyers. Ambassador Mbadiwe is the author of Nigerian Foreign Relations in the Obasanjo/Atiku years A Pictorial,
We say congratulations to him as he joins the rank of the rare breed of personalities who have attained the Biblical age of three scores and ten.
