PASTOR OSAGIE IZE-IYAMU (PROFILE)

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, (Born in June 21, 1962 in Benin City, Edo State) is a Nigerian pastor, political figure, former Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Edo State Government. He is the gubernatorial nominee of the Edo State People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial election. He was previously a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was the National Vice Chairman, South-South Zone of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He served as Director General of Adams Oshiomhole’s 2nd term Campaign Organisation. He was also the Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation. Recently, he was honoured by the Benson Idahosa University with an honorary doctorate degree in Public Administration.

PERSONAL LIFE AND EDUCATION

He is from Iguododo, Orhionmwon, Edo State and was born into the upper middle-class family of Late Chief Robert Osayande Ize-Iyamu, the highly respected Benin chief with the highly reverend title of Esogban of Benin Kingdom and Mrs. Magdalene N. Ize-Iyamu (nee Obasohan). Osagie Andrew Ize-Iyamu had his primary education at St. Joseph Primary School and Ebenezer Nursery and Primary School, Benin City, where he obtained the best result in the common entrance in the then Midwestern region and had his Secondary education at Edo College, the premier secondary school in Edo State in 1979, where he obtained the best result in the art class in West Africa Certificate Examination passed out with grade I. He chose to study Political Science, and was admitted into the University of Benin, Benin City in 1980 but later changed his course of study to Law the following academic session, and soon became one of the pioneering students in the faculty. He graduated with an LLB (Hons) in 1985/1986 and proceeded to the Nigeria Law School where he bagged the Bachelor of Law (BL) and was called to the Nigerian Bar afterward in 1987. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu met God in 1995 through a harrowing experience
when he had an almost fatal accident that changed the course of his life forever, consequently joining the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). Osagie Ize-Iyamu is happily married to Pastor (Dr) Idia Ize-Iyamu, a Consultant Orthodontist with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and a Senior Lecturer in the University of Benin. They are blessed with four children.

CAREER

In 1998, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was made Pastor of the Upper Room Parish of the Church, located at Adesuwa Road, G.R.A., Benin City which grew to become the biggest RCCG church in Edo State under his leadership. He was later appointed the Area pastor of the GRA 1 Area church, overseeing three parishes with headquarters at the Upper Room parish. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is the District Pastor, Overseeing Zonal, Area and individual Parishes of the Redeem Christian Church of God, in Edo State. Besides, he is in charge of the provincial
regional headquarters parish in Benin City. He started political activism during his university days as a vibrant member of the Student Union Congress and was highly instrumental to the election of several presidents and Executive members of the Student Union. After a sojourn into private legal practice and business, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Edo State (between 1999 – 2003), under the administration of Dr. Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, Executive Governor of Edo State. During this period, he set up the I.O Farms Training Institute – a model farm settlement at Ugbor-Amagba communities, Benin City, Edo State with the triple objective of agricultural training, skill acquisitions and youth empowerment as veritable mechanism to reduce youth restiveness, organized crime and unemployment.

POLITICS

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was one of the operational planks that saw to the election of Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, as the then Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council, Benin City, in 1983, under the zero party system. He was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Edo State, under the administration of Dr. Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, Executive Governor of Edo State from 1999 – 2003, and was secretary to the state government under the same administration from 2003 – 2007. He was the National Vice Chairman, South-South Zone of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
was the Director-General of Adams Oshiomhole’s 2nd term Campaign Organisation in 2012, and was also the Coordinator of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation in 2011.