Unyime Idem

Unyime Josiah Idem (born 14 January 1975) is a businessman, politician and honourable member representing Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency in the Nigeria Federal House of Representatives.^[1][2] He is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Idems Ultimates - a telecommunication service provider, and Stanford Microfinance Bank Limited ^[3][4] with stakes in several other companies in agricultural sector, real estate, construction with over five hundred employees.^[5]

Early life and education[]

Unyime Josia Idem was born in Usung Atiat in Ukanafun Local Government in Akwa Ibom State. He attended Western Annang Secondary Commercial School – Wasco, Ikot Akpa Nkuk finishing with Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE. An alumnus of University of Uyo, he holds a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in business administration.^[2] Idem holds several professional certificates in telecommunication and management including Telecoms Customer Service Training, Accra, Ghana; Resource Management Course, Johannesburg, South Africa; Telecoms Customer Service Training, New Delhi, India;^[6] Marketing Management Course, Beijing, China; Executive Management Course, Westminster, London; Financial Management Course, Boroughs, London; Public Administration Course, New York, USA; Financial Management and Strategic Management Course, Lagos Business School, Nigeria; Marketing Management Course, New York, USA; and World Telecoms Conference, Abuja, Nigeria.

Idem is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Commerce of Nigeria,[3] Chartered Institute Of Operations Research Of Nigeria; Chartered Institute Of Management And Public Diplomacy Of Nigeria, [4] Chartered Institute Of Leadership Of Nigeria,[5] Institute Of Chartered Economists Of Nigeria,[6] Institute Of Management Consultants,[7] Institute Of Corporate Executives Of Nigeria,[8] Institute Of Project Managers Of Nigeria,[9] and Institute Of Corporate Leadership And Mentorship.[10]

Political career[]

Idem's political career started in the year 2000 when he was first elected Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP official in his ward 8 as assistant secretary. In the same year, he was appointed Special Adviser Projects to Ukanafun local council chairman. In 2011, he was appointed into Godswill/Nsima Ekere governorship campaign organisation on the platform of PDP. At the expiration of the tenure of Governor Godswill Akpabio and his deputy Nsima Ekere in 2015, Emmanuel Udom emerged the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 governoship election in Akwa Ibom state, thus forming Udom/Moses Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation. Idem was a member of the campaign organisation. He was a delegate to PDP primaries in 2015.

Election to Federal House of Representatives[]

Following his business success in telecommunication,^[7][8] finance and agriculture and his growing popularity and influence, the constituents of Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency urged him to run for the seat in the Nigeria federal house of representatives.^[9] In 2018, he contested for the PDP ticket in the primary election of the party beating three other candidates to emerge PDP flag bearer.^[10][11] In the 23 February 2019 general election he defeated his main challenger Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukoette of the All Progressives Congress, APC an incumbent who was running for a return ticket to the green chamber for a third term.^[12] Emmanuel Ukoette challenged the election of Idem at the national assembly election petition tribunal alleging wide range of electoral irregularities including over voting. The tribunal dismissed the petition for lack of credible evidence and affirmed the election of Idem.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Committee assignments[]

Idem holds the deputy chairmanship assignment on the .^[17]

Motions[]

In July 2019, Idem at a plenary sitting of the federal house of representatives moved a motion calling for the rehabilitation of the 72-year old Nigeria Institute for Palm Oil Research- NIFOR, Oruk Anam sub-station, Akwa Ibom state. He told the house that the research institute had been neglected for decades and the staff there were on monthly salary of 4,000 naira (US$11).

His motion argued that rehabilitation of NIFOR would guarantee food security, create jobs, generate foreign exchange and raw materials for Nigeria. NIFOR was one of the institutes where Malaysian researchers collected palm seedling for the development of their country's palm oil. The house consequently approved rehabilitation of the institute.^[18][19]

Constituency project[]

In his years in business, Idem was known for human capital development. During his election campaign he promised his constituents that if elected he would focus his constituency project on developing the young people in various skills that would help them set up businesses or find jobs. In August 2019, Idem launched his first constituency project to train about five thousand youths in various skills of their choices. The skill acquisition program would help the youths to be economically independent, take them off the street, reduces youth restiveness and restore social order in Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency.^[20][21]

References[]

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