The immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Professor Placid Njoku, was in a gay mood recently when he marked his 77th birthday.
Born on the 10th February, 1947 in Umuri Amaimo, Ikeduru LGA in, Imo State. From an early age, he displayed an insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge. His academic journey began at a local primary school, where his exceptional intellect quickly caught the attention of his teachers. Driven by passion, young Placid set his sights on higher education and obtained the West African School Certificate, Division 1, in December 1964. After completing his secondary education with flying colours, Placid Njoku was among a select group of brilliant children from Eastern Region of Nigeria sent to Emergency Federal School of Science, Lagos for Higher School.
Placid Njoku’s academic odyssey took him to renowned universities across the world, where he honed his expertise and contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge. After his National Youth Service Corps year in Lagos State, Placid was appointed Graduate Assistant at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. In 1976, he obtained a training leave from ABU to study for his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Poultry Science and Monogastric Animal Nutrition from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, U.S.A, which he earned in 1978 and 1980, respectively.
The choice by Senator Hope Uzodinma to make him his Deputy Governorship candidate to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 was applauded, as he was known as an achiever, committed to the growth of Imo State.
Prof. Njoku’s tenure as the Deputy Governor was characterised by a significant rise in educational standards and increased access to quality learning.
He traversed Imo State making friends and enthusing people, representing his principal in many important community, state, regional, and national meetings and other assignments. Placid Njoku is today well-known in Imo, and his leaving office on 15 January 2024 brought to him a cascade of goodwill messages and praises.
As Prof. Placid Njoku quietly marks his 77th birthday on 10th February, his story continues to inspire and shape the minds of the next generation, with his legacy firmly cemented in the annals of academia, governance and politics.
and then