03/09/2025
BRIEF PROFILE of Mr. Okeke Chika Jerry. ( The Boot party Anambra state governorship flag bearer)
1). Mr. Okeke Chika Jerry, hail from Ezinifite in Aguata LGA of Anambra State.
2. His late father Mr Francis Okeke was a church teacher and a headmaster in public schools while his late mother Mrs Bessie Okeke was a farmer and a petty trader.
3.. He had both his primary and secondary education at Town School and Community Secondary School respectively at Ezinifite, his home town.
4. His leadership career started when he was appointed as school science prefect and school president of Anglican Students Association of Nigeria (ASAN) in the year 1991.
5. He took his WAEC in June 1992.
6. His father had no money to send him to university, then he moved to Onitsha in January 1993 for a teaching job.
7. Between 1993 and 1994, he taught in private schools in Onitsha and subsequently held extra mural lessons for Common Entrance candidates in order to get money for his further studies.
8. In 1995 he got admission to study Civil Engineering at IMT Enugu. And eventually paid his school fees by himself.
9. In IMT, He was elected the president campus fellowship of All Christian Practical Praying Band International, a non denominational prayer ministry.
10. In 1998, He published his first novel titled Refined Unity which was launched first in Onitsha at Dennis Memorial Grammar School Onitsha with the then Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi) and that of Oba (Okpoko I of Oba) in attendance. May their souls rest in perfect peace. Amen. The then Rector, IMT Enugu was also in attendance.
The book was then launched again in his home town with the then Igwe Ezeugoato I of Ezinifite and all the Igwe-in-Council in attendance. His two parents were also alive and present. And they all prayed for his successful career. May their souls and the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace. Amen.
11. In the year 1999, He founded an education magazine publication which he called Education Mail magazine for students in secondary schools which he published monthly and hawked from one school to another in order to pay his school fees.
12. In the year 2000, he was elected the president general Ezinifite Students Union, an office he held vibrantly for two tenures of two years each. As the president general of the students union, he founded and edited Ezinifite Scope Magazine which was the mouthpiece of Ezinifite community. Seminars, workshops, quiz and debating competitions as well as extra mural classes and football competitions made his two tenures memorable and historical
12. Other offices he held include: (i) Secretary, Ezinifite Library Board which was set by Ezinifite Improvement Union. (ii) National Vice President Youth Christian Movement, Nigeria. (iii) National Bible Quiz Coordinator of ACPPB International. (iv) Zonal President Youth Christian Movement Nigeria, Aguata Chapter. (v) Editor in chief of ACPPB Newsletter, (vi) Editor in chief of New Generation magazine, (vii) Editor in chief of Campus newspaper, (viii) Publisher, Glorious Crown Magazine, (ix) The leader, Children Ministry of ACPPB Ezinifite branch, (x) CEO Edumail Publications limited, Onitsha. etc.
13. In 2001, he got admission to study at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He studied Geological Science between 2001 to 2005/2006. And still paid his school fees all by himself. And he became the only graduate of all his father's six male children. His father had earlier told us that he had no money sending us to any institution of higher learning according to him, but he worked hard and made himself a graduate and as well self-employed.
14. In the year 2006, he graduated and left school to face his business.
Instead of looking for unavailable job in Nigeria, he established a publishing firm in Onitsha named Edumail Publications Limited having gotten his certificate of incorporation for the business in 2005. Between 2006 onwards, he managed the business well and used it to offer many youths employment including his school mates, youth corpers, Jambites etc.
15. By the year 2006, His first book Refined Unity was listed as one of the literature exam texts for Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination in Anambra State.
16. In 2009, he went back to the university to study Linguistics. During the same period in Unizik Awka, he also enrolled for diploma in law and also in PGD to study Public administration.
17. His company grew from strength to strength and he bought a land in Onitsha and in December 12, 2011, he commenced the building of two storey edifice as his permanent office complex. On 25th January, 2012, his company moved into the permanent site for business while the house was still under construction due to high cost of house rent in Onitsha.
18. In the year of the Lord 2013, he participated in the governorship election in Anambra State for the first time. Even with the meagre resources available, he contested it till the end though he didn't win.
19. A year after in the course of his dream to industrialise the state, he also established a table water industry in Onitsha where more youths have gained employment too.
He also opened Chika Jerry Supermarket in Onitsha with branches in major cities in the state. A lot of Anambra youths including youth corpers are currently working and getting paid monthly.
20. In the year 2015, he contested for federal house of rep. but also did not scale through because other parties were sharing money at the polling units.
21. He writes in two languages: English and Igbo. Presently, he have written over 200 published story books, over 300 students magazines, 20 textbooks, 25 workbooks, 15 revision texts for students preparing for external examinations as well as other books in guidance counselling, history, religion and politics including many articles in various magazines and journals. Most of his books are currently in use in the following states in Nigeria including Abuja: Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Enonyi, Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Benue States.
National Examination Council (NECO) with headquarters in Minna Niger State has also used his books for exams throughout the country.
22. Okeke Chika Jerry is a household name. There is hardly any family you visit in Anambra and even beyond without seeing anyone that knows him. He have impacted seriously in the lives of so many people. He assisted a lot of youths by publishing their story books for them. He also helped many to secure admissions in various institutions of higher learning. Gave scholarship award to best performing students in Junior Secondary school Certificate Examination in Anambra. Also pay school fees of some pupils in his Town School Ezinifite, his alma mater.
22. He have received various awards from various institutions, youths/students groups, churches, and associations including my alma matter UNIZIK.
23. In 2019, he contested for Anambra State House of Assembly but was not successful due to rotation of seat in the local government, though there were a lot of monetary inducements by political parties.
25. In 2021, He also contested again in the Anambra state gubernatorial election but, according to him Anambra people continued voting APGA mindless of the caliber of people that were coming out from other political parties. So he didn't win again.
26. When people asked him to contest for house of assembly instead of governorship, he gave it a trial in March 2023 when he contested for Anambra State House of Assembly to represent Onitsha North II Constituency. He campaigned vigorously in all the wards and he spent almost all his money in the campaign but on the election day, the electorates voted massively for Labour Party in a bandwagon because of Peter Obi in the historic Obidient movement.
27. On September 10, 2024, he founded Chika -Jerry College in 3-3 Onitsha together with nursery and primary school purposely to reduce the number of school dropouts. He made the school fees very affordable. By the Grace of God, the population of the school is now nearing a thousand in less than a year.
In the course of his struggle in the state, he have given over one thousand youths jobs in the state starting from his first day of employing people till date. And still counting. He have impacted the lives of so many youths in the state.
During the Covid-19, he gave a lot of palliatives to women in both Onitsha and his home town Ezinifite Aguata. Also distributed a lot of educational materials to students in various communities in Anambra state including his home town Ezinifite Aguata.
Electing him as our governor will go a long way in making the people believe that hard work truly pays. And this will boast the morale of so many youths to start working hard in life.
He is young, strong, educated, hardworking and Godfearing.
I really thank God for the journey so far.
