*By Ejike Anyaduba*
It may be fair to argue that birthday is not just another date on the calendar, but a powerful reminder of the journey of life. Some celebrate birthday to measure time and growth. Others do so to show gratitude and love. Yet many more mark it as a means of reflecting on spiritual growth as well as introspection. Regardless, birthday holds deep personal, cultural and emotional significance to all who celebrate it.
For Chief Dr. Camillus Okwudili Ezeike (Ikeakachi Ekwulobia) who is 55 years on Sunday February 22, 2026, birthday is more than a mere celebration as is commonly evident. He sees birthday as a time to think seriously – a period of reflections on the values that hold the torch to societal growth. He appreciates the fact that life is not fairly even to all and should be lived in a manner that nurtures rather than smothers it. Perhaps that explains his love for charity and the leading role he plays in the development of his Ekwulobia community.
Ezeike believes in giving back to society and hardly holds back from improving his environment every chance he gets. While birthday celebration may be an opportunity for many to display wealth, Ikeakachi Ekwulobia uses it to reflect on life and the vanity of its accomplishment. He often quips that life lived merely for sensuous luxury with no positive impact as its own end, is one lived in error and should be discouraged.
A born leader with unflagging commitment to the service of humanity, he pioneered the coordination of Ekwulobia Community USA and Canada, Inc. (ECUC) and subsequently became its president for two terms. To his credit, ECUC under his leadership brought a lot of developments to Ekwulobia and ensured that the N40 million renovation and refurbishment done sometime in the past on the community’s Urban Girls Secondary School was started and successfully completed. He also saw to it that during the Covid-19 scourge his people were significantly relieved of the pain of the contagious global disease through provisions of palliatives. He currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Directors of ECUC while coordinating Odimma Ekwulobia a non-political and non-religious organization of Ekwulobia people in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. Just like his leadership of ECUC, Odimma Ekwulobia under him has witnessed tremendous progress in providing assistance to the people of Ekwulobia. It has made significant contributions to the community’s health and education system, beginning with the N10 million health intervention outreach for indigent citizens at the General Hospital Ekwulobia in 2025 and paid the 2026 WAEC registration fees for all SS3 Ekwulobia students in public schools in Ekwulobia, Oko, Isuofia and Nkpologwu.
Compassionate and mild-mannered, Ezeike a United States Attorney and PhD Prepared Registered Nurse, believes that birthday shouldn’t be just an occasion to mark the passage of time, but a moment to think through life and refocus on its many lessons. A strong believer in capacity building and human capital development, he designs his birthday as a day for self-evaluation – a period of sober reflection on how to advance the cause of humanity.
At 55 – an age considered as the beginning of new chapter of life with less pressure and more purposeful living, Ikeakachi Ekwulobia celebrates with empathy and not in grandeur. He sees his birthday as a time of reappraising life, creating opportunities and empowering others for the benefit of humanity. For him success does not consist in acquisition of wealth or titles alone, but in impacting life positively. He understands that being at the pinnacle is not by human strength but through divine force that acts in our moments of weakness. Accordingly, he uses the milestone birthday as a moment of gratitude to God for life and a special day to reach out to those at the wrong side of life as well as others who are sick and completely forlorn.
Born on February 22, 1971, in Ekwulobia, to late Mr. Michael Ezeike (Headmaster Special Class) and Lady Cecelia Ezeike of Amudo, Umuchi village Ekwulobia, Ikeakachi had his primary education in a number of schools as a result of successive transfers of his teacher parents. He started at Umuezennafor Primary School, through Efosie Primary School both in Ekwulobia, to Orjiakor Practicing School, Adazi Nnukwu before completing at Primary School II, Obudu, Cross River state. His secondary education was not significantly different as he commenced from Government Secondary School, Obudu, Cross River State, through St. John Bosco Seminary Isuaniocha to Aguata High School where he finished. He attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he obtained in 1992, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language before proceeding abroad for further studies after the one-year mandatory Youth Service. First to Germany, where studied German Language at the University of Heidelberg and later to the United States of America. In the
United States, he enrolled at Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana, obtaining a Juris Doctor and Certificate in International Law and was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2006 and Washington DC in 2007. Subsequently, he gained admission to read Nursing at University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, New York, graduating in 2010, with Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He obtained a Masters of Law (LL.M) in 2012, from Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois. By 2018, he had obtained a PhD in Nursing Science from Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. He has since secured a Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Pharmacy while anticipating a Graduate Certificate in Global Health and Security from George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government by August of 2026.
A widely read and urbane person, Ezeike has worked in top government offices too numerous to mention. His experiences are many and various and of the type only the diligent can achieve. He currently works as a Regulatory Counsel with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research(CDER).
As he marks this important chapter in his life journey, it is clear he prefers a life of purpose over and above aimlessness and unnecessary showmanship. It is expected that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear more on the service of his good people of Ekwulobia in particular and Aguata in general. Ezeike loves reading and he is blessed with children.
*Ejike Anyaduba*
*Writes from Abatete*
