By Tony Okafor, Awka
What that can best be described as the mustard seed planted by Osita Chidoka some years back when he was in the public service has started fruiting: The fruit is John? Surprised?
Celebrating the fruit in a write-up, Chidoka said, “I consider John and others like him my Legacy of Service ~ building human capacity.”
CHIDOKA WRITES:
I asked, “Are you still at the FRSC HQ?”. “No sir, I resigned last February,” he said. I was taken aback and I took a second look at him. How did I miss the air of calm confidence around him? He did not look the part of a civil servant anymore.
Officer Emmanuel John visited last week on condolence. I was surprised he came with an envelope. I was wondering how he could give out a large percentage of his salary. I mulled if i should return it before he told me of his resignation.
After his resignation, he told me, he set up 2 organisations in collaboration with like minds, a firm Ochenuell Mobility Solution Limited which deals with Sustainable Urban Mobility and Road Safety issues, and an NGO, International Institute for Sustainable Transport. With the company, he is currently on a consulting contract with GIZ, UN-Habitat, and UNEP all as Sustainable Urban Mobility Expert. He now spends his time more in Germany and other European countries and Nigeria.
He was in Germany during the funeral of my mother, so he couldn’t attend. Currently, he is running 2 projects, one funded by the Global Designing Cities Initiative and Bloomberg Philanthropy to create safe streets to Schools in Abuja and another one by the UN Road Safety Trust Fund for capacity building on Walking and Cycling development in Nigeria and some pilot initiatives in Abuja.
His company was selected to lead the ongoing development of the Pan African Action Plan for Active Mobility (West and Central Africa).
Last year he was elected President of the Africa Urban Cycling Organization, and that qualified him to contest and win election as a Board Member and Vice President (Africa) of the World Cycling Alliance.
So much going on in the global space for those with the skills and passion. John has both.
I discovered John in 2011. Before I sent for him, I noticed his persistence. John was bold and determined. He wrote several memos and emails to me canvassing we pay attention to Urban Mobility issues. Initially, I ignored. He persisted. He wrote through his bosses and privately and I eventually decided to give him a try. He knew that I had a passion for non-motorized transport from Ojo Maduekwe’s days as transport Minister hence his persistence.
In 2012, the country was on lockdown due to a fuel subsidy removal strike and I was to be in Australia for a conference on Non Motorized transport and Road Safety. I couldn’t go. I asked the team to proceed without me and requested that the young Officer John present my paper. In a hierarchical organisation like FRSC that was unthinkable.
He presented the paper and that was the beginning of his work with me on the bicycle program and Urban Mobility. We subsequently travelled together to conferences in Vancouver, Canada, Adelaide, Australia, and many others he went with others. The older pictures below were taken in Vancouver.
He pushed us to set up the non-motorized desk and was instrumental in implementing my plan to birth the Transport Growth Initiative an association of transport agencies to promote Multimodal transport and transport studies.
He is an example of how to fight your way to the top. I am happy with his success. Interestingly, I don’t know John’s state of origin to this day. It never occurred to me to ask, his work was the basis of our relationship not his state.
Sadly, like my other key staff at FRSC, he had to leave. He said he tried many times after my exit to leave and was eventually released this year. Sustaining the interest and commitment of high flyers is something the government must take seriously. The good news is that they are all doing well across the World. We are planning to collaborate and write academic papers on road safety, Urban Mobility, and pedestrian safety.
I consider John and others like him my Legacy of Service ~ building human capacity.
Osita Chidoka
June 2023
