I am Christopher Awunor, I am from a great country called Nigeria in West Africa. I am 63 year of age, a business man of great repute.
I came from an average family, not so rich and not so poor. my father was a retired soilder having fought the second world war. my mother was a trader, who deals on food stuff and the likes. They managed to give me and my siblings college education.
NOW MY PERSONAL LIFE ODYSSEY
I was born 1959, into the family of Mr. and and Mrs. AWUNOR in the ancient village of ONICHA UGBO in Delta State of Nigeria.
I was given a native name " IFEANYINACHUKWU" which translates as " Nothing is impossible with God."
My parents had no formal education nor any abundant sources of income to sustain the family, but they were fully committed to their faith that life would eventually get better. They believed in God in sincerity.
Raising a family, feeding the children and catering to their educational needs was a major challenge as my parents grappled with financial turbulence and the vicissitudes of life.
I commenced my early education in a community school in the heart of Delta State. From my early age, I demonstrated strong tendencies of genius-level intelligence, even as the regrettable financial crunch being experienced by my parents dealt vicious blows to my educational potentials.
At 12, my parents made the transformational decision of sojourning back home to Onicha-Ugbo.
Having returned home, life must go on, and so my parents embarked on subsistence farming and petty trading just to cater for daily feeding and other needs.
My mother, Agnes Ocho was the gorgeous daughter of Nkennor family from Idumu Ogbele quarters in ONICHA UGBO. She was naturally bold, fearless , hard working and outspoken.
Shortly after my college education, I was sent to Chief Udeze Aniemeke for mentorship by my father.
As an obedient and well-mannered lad, I lived happily with the businessman who had me enrolled at a commercial school owned by Nwadiolu.
As a young boy ready to explore the world, I focused every ounce of my energy on my studies. My zeal paid off handsomely as I mastered typing and shorthand in no time, emerging with superb grades.
On completion of my training at the commercial school, I clinched a job with the Ministry of Statistics, Lagos, as a typist. I handled this responsibility briefly before resigning in pursuit of more rewarding tasks.
Thereafter, I was assisted by the Late Mr. Robinson Izegbu who got me a job at AIK Transport Company at Agege, Lagos
At this new job, my integrity and penchant for ethics were quickly identified. As a result, I was placed in charge of store management where I oversaw the movement of the company's spare parts.
This was a defining moment of breakthrough for me as I wasted no time in mastering the intricacies of this spare parts business.
Having soared at this task excellently, after a good while, I received insight to establish my own company. This was a risk I was willing to take, as a man who had surmounted impossible mountains in time past.
Thus, I tendered my resignation at the company I was engaged with, as I forged gallantly into the valley of the unknown.
This step must have been divinely orchestrated, as fortune decided that it was time to smile on me.
My new spare parts business blossomed beyond proportions as I clinched supply deals with several transport companies in far away Lagos. It seemed like the prayers of my parents for so many years were finally manifesting unbelievable results decades later.
My business grew in leaps and bounds. I moved from shipping a few items, into handling significant government contracts.
Likewise, I was invited to execute numerous projects for the Nigerian police force across the nation.
Here was the son of a subsistent farmer, walking proudly within the corridors of power, controlling humongous wealth and influence at last.
By the time I clocked 25 years of age, I saw that I had already become a big business man with solid investments strewn across cities of Nigeria.
Not want to rest on my laurels, I went ahead to establish CHIFA Hotels in Festac Town, Lagos. This hotel, like my other business concerns, also flourished and evolved, with branches in Agboju and much later, my home town of Onicha-Ugbo.
Drawing from my own painful experience and the setbacks faced during my education, I avowed to offer others the qualitative education which I yearned for so many years back.
I established Lead Group of Schools, one of the biggest secondary schools in Lagos. Due to the standard and reputation of this institute, most of the influential personalities in Lagos have a child or two enrolled.
After my 60th birthday, I made the decision of retiring to my country home in Onicha-Ugbo, entrusting the management of my investments and businesses to my eldest son Emmanuel who was a graduate of chemical engineering from Federal University of Petroleum Resources ( FUPRE) in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Since my retirement to my home town, I have taken interest in writing, hence I joined this blog chain of HIVE. I sincerely believed that this will help me to kill boredom. I have been also a foremost reformer and advocate of positive change. I have stimulated several reforms in the traditional seat of power.
Additionally, I have been of great assistance to Onicha-Ugbo in the area of electricity supply, security and other social infrastructure.
As my contribution to humanity, I have removed many children out of poverty and from the streets. I am a firm believer in humanity and has heavily invested in human capital development.
My philanthropy cuts beyond tribe and religion, and the scope of my magnanimity which spans decades cannot be summarized in a single piece of this nature.
I am a recipient of Chieftaincy titles in Lagos and Onicha-Ugbo my home town. I am happily married with children.
In conclusion, I want to use this opportunity to thank all our numerous members on this platform for listening to my life story, my life odyssey I assure you that you will not regret reading my write ups henceforth as I join this platform of Noble personalities.