By anthony anyanwu
On Friday the 20th day of December 2013, the Media in Imo State under the aegis of “Independent Newspapers Proprietors Association” INPA gathered at the prestigious Real Hotels Ltd, Owerri to bestow what could be regarded as the “Award of Awards” on His Excellency Honourable Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi.
This award of the Most Friendly Media Personality of the year 2013 is unique and very significant in many ramifications.
Aside from the fact that it was the first time the Independent Newspaper Proprietors Association, Imo State Chapter is giving such an award to any personality, it was given to an illustrious son of Ikeduru LGA, an industrious son of Imo State and indeed a highly respected son of Nigeria.
For the purposes of emphasis, it is on record that Hon Barrister Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi who has represented Ikeduru/Mbaitoli at the Federal House of Representative for a record three terms, is currently the President of Pan African Parliament with Head Quarters in South Africa.
Representing a Federal Constituency like Mbaitoli/Ikeduru by no Means is not a small task not to be given the mended by the people for a record time of three terms of twelve years.
Talking about what may have informed his choice for this all important award by INPA; it concerns His Excellency, Hon Barrister Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi’s media friendliness all these years.
Suffice it to say that there is hardly any known media organization in Nigeria which has not benefited one way or the other from Bethel Amadi Media Largesse both in the country and overseas.
These benefits have either come as local or oversea trainings, visitations and seminars all aimed at improving the capacity building of the affected Journalists and their media organizations.
The achievements of Barrister Nnaemeka Amadi in the Media Industry and the development of Journalism profession no doubt informed his choice by the Independent Newspaper Proprietors Association to reward him with the prestigious “Media friendly personality award for the year 2013”.
Apparently, this prestigious award by Newspaper Publishers in Imo State is to Hon Amadi remarkable indeed having come from his home state without any trace of lobby for it. It is wonderful indeed when you situate the event with the Igbo adage that says “Ana esi n’ulo mara mma puo ama” meaning that charity begins at home.
Fortunately, feelers have it that H/E Barrister Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi may be nursing the ambition to be the first citizen of Imo State when the whistle is blown next year.
Political pundits believe that with the almost settled case for a Governor of Owerri Zone extraction in 2015, and coupled with the wide Legislative prowess of Barrister Amadi, he stands as one of the most outstanding for the position.
It is believed that this prestigious INPA 2013 award of awards on Hon Bethel Amadi will spur him to more actions and performances not only media wise, but because to whom much is given much is expected.
Born on the 25th of April 1964 at Owerri to Eugene and Comfort Amadi of Amii Akabo in Ikeduru LGA, Imo State Hon Bethel Amadi attended Federal Government College Warri from 1976 to 1981, and proceeded to study Law at the University of Jos from 1981 to 1985 as a recipient of the Academic Excellence Scholarship Award of Iwuanyanwu Foundation. He attended the Nigeria Law School, Lagos and was called to the Nigeria Bar in October 1986.
He did his National Youth Service (NYSC) as a legal officer at Mamman Ousman & Co and later at Agbo Madaki & Co both in Makurdi, Benue State.
After his National Service, he secured employment as a Legal/Administrative Officer with Christaben Group Ltd Kaduna, an Engineering and Industrial Procurement Company, in December 1987, and later became the Company Secretary. His excellent performance led the Management Board to elevate him to the position of Export Manager (Africa/Middle East) for Deancross (U.K) Ltd London, the offshore subsidiary of Christaben Group Limited.
His shuttles around Africa and the Middle East for business development and expansion, no doubt changed the face of this company. He was subsequently elevated to the position of Executive Director (Operations) where he was specifically assigned the responsibility of overseeing, planning and developing the Groups operations in the Middle East and Eastern Europe especially Kuwait and Romania. In November 1991 he was appointed the Acting General Manager of Hunting Oilfield Services (Nigeria) Ltd, a Joint Venture between Hunting PLC of the UK, (manufacturers of Oil Country Tubular Goods) and Christaben Group Limited.
Despite his attainments in the oil and gas industry, his interest in his chosen profession had not waned. In January 1993, he left the Christaben Group Ltd to set up Hallmanns Legal Practitioners (formally Amadi, Eyo Olagoke and Chiagozie) as one of its funding partners.
Still very much an entrepreneur, in 1988, he became the Chairman of Akabb Technologies Limited, an Environmental and Laboratories Services Company currently implementing the ISO1400 certification of Shell Nigeria and Elf Petroleum facilities nationwide. He was also the Chairman of PetroField Limited, a Port Harcourt based Petroleum Engineering and Oil Services Company, as well as Chairman, AlfaField Limited, a Lagos based pharmaceutical and Chemical Company up till 2003.
In March 2000 he was appointed the Managing Consultant and Member Board of Directors of Bendel Insurance PLc, Benin City, Edo State where he provided turnaround management with strategic and operational planning, implementation and general management.
Politically, he was not a green. A Student Union Activist in his days as a student of the University of Jos, he was a member of the Student Union Caretaker Committee in 1984, and he was the President Benue State Youth Corpers Association in 1986. He is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Energy and Natural Resources Law Section. In 1995, he served as the Co-secretary of the Committee on improving Foreign Investment Climate, at the Nigerian Economic Summit (NESII).
With the above intimidating credentials, coupled with his humane and peace-loving disposition, the good people of Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Imo State elected him to represent them in the House of Representatives in April 2003.
At the National Assembly, his colleagues from Imo State noted his leadership qualities and did not hesitate in electing him their Caucus Leader. He was also the Chairman of Sub-committee on NAPIMS (Upstream) of the Petroleum Resources Committee, and a member of several other Committees of the House, such as Internal Affairs (Immigration Sub-committee), Inter-parliamentary, Loans, Aids and Debt Management, Population and Co-operation and Integration in Africa.
In the House of Representatives, he has become an intellectual power house serving as a pivot for many retreats and seminars focused on enhancing capacity building for members of the House of Representatives.
He was a member of the Planning Committee for the 6 Nation Inter-parliamentary Conference on Lake Chad Basin aimed at the resuscitation of the Lake Chad.
He worked closely with the Hon. Speaker, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari to establish a Legislative Agenda Adhoc Committee which draw up a blue print for using legislation to bring about social change and reformation in Nigeria.
He served on the Central Planning Committee for the highly successful 2004 House of Representatives Retreat that was held in the 3 centres of Niger, Bauchi and Osun States.
He served as the Chairman of the Protocol Sub-committee for the African Parliamentary Conference on NEPAD held in Abuja in June 2005 with delegates attending from over 34 African Parliaments. He represented the South-East Legislators as a member of the 2005 Joint Budget Harmonization Committee of the National Assembly.
He also served on the Planning Committee for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference held in Abuja in September 2006 as Chairman, Sub-committee on Transportation ensuring that over 700 delegates from over 52 countries had a successful conference.
He is the Founder and Co-ordinator of Legislative Initiation for Education (LIFE) a group of Legislators championing the reform of Nigeria’s education system. Due to his love for education, during his first term in office, he established the Bethel Amadi Foundation (BAF) providing, Scholarship/Academic Excellence Award to the best JSSI students in all the 38 secondary schools in his constituency. He has been involved in primary and secondary schools classroom rehabilitation programme in his constituency. In November 2007, he began the construction of a prototype 5 classroom blocks designed for secondary schools. He also established various co-operative societies whom he provided with interest free agricultural loans. He also secured employment for several of his constituents in various Federal Parastatals and private companies.
In April 2007, Hon. Amadi was re-elected to the House of Representatives by the people of Mbaitoli/Ikeduru for a second term in office. He was the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives and Leader of the South East House of Representatives Caucus up till November 2007.
In September 2007, he was appointed as a Member of the Pan-African Parliament. On May 28, 2009 Hon. Bethel Amadi was elected the First Vice President of Pan African Parliament. He is the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Branch Representative for Nigeria and a member of the Executive Committee of CPA Africa Region where he served on the Planning and Finance Committee. In July 2009 he was elected the Deputy Chairman of CPA Africa Region.
Hon. Amadi was the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation between 2009 to 2011 and was in April, 2011 re-elected to the House of Representatives by the good people of Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency for a third term and is currently Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development. He is also a member of the following Committees of the House: Finance, Foreign Affairs, Inter Parliamentary Relations, Petroleum Resources Upstream, Industries, Special Duties and Public Service Matters Federal Character.
On May 28, 2012, Hon. Bethel Amadi was elected the President of the Pan African Parliament.
A widely travelled man, Hon. Amadi has attended several courses, seminars, workshops and conferences within and outside Nigeria, on issues ranging from petroleum environment, telecommunication, international trade and cooperation to education. His main areas of legislative interest are Education, Infrastructure, Law and Order and Judicial Reforms.
