Towards Edo State 2016 Governorship elections

Background

Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi was born on the 21st day of March 1951 to the family of Mr & Mrs Agbonkpolor Ogiemwonyi in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

Chris Ogiemwonyi attended Western Boys School, Benin City before proceeding to University of Benin in 1969 where he eventually graduated with a B.SC (Hons) in Applied Physics option in Electronics in 1974. He then proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he bagged the Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering in 1976 through an in-service programme.

Chris Ogiemwonyi is a great technocrat with a "father-degree" of experience in oil and gas industry, he has also attended several local and international courses, he's also a reckon product of the Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, also a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and former President of the Nigeria Gas association.

Chris Ogiemwonyi is a recipient of the Justice of Peace (JP) by Edo State Government and Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award, he's also a patron to several bodies including NANS – National Association of Nigerian Students, ACNPN – Association of Community Newspapers Publishers of Nigeria etc.
Educational career

Chris Ogiemwonyi's educational qualification speaks volume, he got his WASCE certificate in 1969, in 1974 he became a B.SC holder in Applied Physics, Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering in 1976, became a Doctor of Engineering Ph.D (Honoris Causa) in 2008 and also got the Doctor of Science Ph.D (Honoris Causa) in 2008.
Qualification Year
Doctor of Science, Ph.D (Honoris Causa) 2008
Doctor of Engineering, Ph.D (Honoris Causa) 2007
Post graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering 1976
B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Physics 1974
WASC 1969
Professional career
Petroleum Engineer II

Chris Ogiemwonyi began his career as a Petroleum Engineer II in 1975 with the Conservation Department and in February, in 1977 Ogiemwonyi was seconded to SPDC (Shell Petroleum Development Company) Warri. This secondment was enriched by a four and half month Advance Petroleum Engineering Programme in SPDC Training Centre in the Hague, Netherlands.
Exploration & Exploitation (E&E) - NNPC

In 1982, Chris Ogiemwonyi resumed work at the Exploration & Exploitation (E&E) Division of NNPC and in 1985 he was transferred to the National Reserves Evaluation as a Project Leader. While in office as a project leader, Ogiemwonyi coordinated all efforts in Dallas, USA in establishing a strong data Base for the Oil and gas Industry.

In 1988, he was moved back to the Exploration Division of the Exploration& Exploitation (E&E) as Head, Petroleum Engineering Department Company to nurture the newly created Petroleum Engineering Department.
Petroleum Engineer - NPDC

In 1988, Chris Ogiemwonyi became the project leader (Petroleum Engineer) of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in Benin City. The NPDC, incorporated in 1988 had as its main objective the mission to compete as an indigenous Oil and Gas producing Company. NPDC was assigned four acreages including OML – 65 containing Abura Field then producing at 980 bopd.

Ogiemwonyi championed the takeover of NPDC and he kept an up-to-date reserves position of the company.

He was the field project leader in Abuja as his company had the major takeover asset from defunct TENNECO. Ogiemwonyi raised the production level from 980 bopd to over 4,000 bopd in 1990. In 1992, he served as Oredo Field Project Leader which was a Greenfield project that involved KELT ENERGY,UK and IP CONSTRUCTION, Calgary. The project was an engineering, procurement, construction as well as operations of 10,000 bopd early production facility which has now being expanded to process 30mmscf/d.

Ogiemwonyi also served as Oziengbe field Leader. This is another 10,000 bopd EPC facility at Oziengbe field.
General Manager, Operations - NAPIMS

In the year 1999, Chris Ogiemwonyi was promoted to the post of the General Manager, operations and was moved to National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS) to oversee the Operations Division. He also championed several projects as a general manager most especially the Local content initiative of the Federal Government, due to the hardworking service; Ogiemwonyi got appointed as the Group General Manager NAPIMS in 2001.

While serving as the Group General Manager NAPIMS, Ogiemwonyi supervised the whole industry including the Joint Ventures (JV) and the Production Sharing Companies (PSCs).

During his days in NAPIMS, Ogiemwonyi served as Chairman, Nigeria OTC Committee between 2003 and 2004. Notably, he also championed and surpervised several key projects which includes the EA field, Erha field, Bonga field, Agbami field amongst others.

During his term, NAPIMS achieved zero cash call arrears by October, 2003. As GGM NAPIMS, the Oil Industry was encouraged on joint utilization of assets such as offshore swamp rigs.
Managing Director - NPDC

In November, 2003, Ogiemwonyi was re-assigned to NPDC as Managing Director[5] and his expertise helped in increasing NPDC production from 20,000 bopd to 70,000bopd. He served as chairman, Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) of Okono/Okpho Development Project, a strategic alliance between NPDC and Agip Energy Limited (AENR). He also served as Chairman, PMC of OMLs 64 and 66 Project, another strategic alliance between NPDC and SINOPEC of China.
Managing Director - National Gas Company

Ogiemwonyi was again re-assigned to National Gas Company Limited as Managing Director[6] in March, 2005. He was determined to to increase gas supply to major customers like; PHCN, SNG, GSLINK, WAPCO, SHAGAMU, and EWEKORO, NOTORE FERTILIZER PH,OBAJANA CEMENT COMPANY etc NGC is coordinating 130mmscf/d gas supply (WAGP – West Africa gas Supply Project) to Benin, Togo, Ghana and hopefully to Ivory Coast.

TSGP – Trans- Sahara Gas Project, the 2 billion scf/d supply from Nigeria through Algeria to Europe was another portfolio under his supervision as NGC’s helmsman.
Group Executive Director - NNPC

In September, 2007, Ogiemwonyi became the Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC, Exploration & Production Directorate).[7]

While he served as GED Exploration and Production, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi was in charge of seven NNPC Companies and Subsidiaries which included National Petroleum Investment Management Services NAPIMS), Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), LNG & Power Division, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Crude Oil, Marketing Division and Local Content Division.
President - EETCLTD

Ogiemwonyi is currently the President of Energy and Engineering Technology Consulting Group, a position he has occupied since May 2011.[8]
President - ESC

Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi served as the President, Energy Strategy Centre (Esc) Abuja, an Energy and Consulting Group between September 2009 through April 2010.
Political career
Minister of State for Works

Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi was appointed Minister of State for Works in April, 2010, an office he occupied till May 2011.[9]
Governorship Aspirant

Another story began in his career on the 28th day of November when the city of Benin celebrates in grand style as Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi crossed over to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) where he was when was elected as a Minister. In this revealing event, Chris Ogiemwonyi publicly renounce the People's Democratic Party (PDP),[10] he emphasized on renouncing them forever. This same event declared him as the party's Governorship Aspirant in 2016.