This may be the appropriate time to pay a deserving tribute to one of Nigeria’s unsung heroes and patriot who suffered day and night and kept awake in order to bring about the much needed dynamic changes and positive impact witnessed over the years in the country’s public service sector.
At the statutory age of 60, Engr. Chief Paulinus Munweronye Chris Anih (Ph.D), a Nigerian patriot, an icon and astute administrator bowed out from active public service in March 21, but not without leaving behind an enduring legacy for his successors in the service to emulate.
Engr. Chris Anih’s 33 years of active service beginning from his golden years at Nigeria’s secret police agency, the Department of State Services (DSS) and later at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), can be described as a memorable journey shaped by collaboration, determination, courage, wit and diligence.
His leadership approach focused on engaging stakeholders and personnel in the security sector to create a secure, safe and livable environment for public servants and developing new strategies for emerging challenges. Thus, under his stewardship, his contributions led to significant progress in areas of security, public servants’ welfare, sectoral reforms and beyond, which earned him well-deserving accolades and recognition.
Early Beginnings
Engr. Chief Paulinu Chris Anih was born to the family of late Nze Gabriel and Ogbuzuo Eze-Nwanyi, Uzoigwe Anihwehem on the 21st day of March, 1965 at Aguenyi Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended the then Central School, Mpu, presently Community Secondary School, Mpu from 1975-1979. He gained admission into Mgbidi Technical College (MTC) in 1979 for his secondary education. In 1982 , he left MTC for Government Technical College (GTC) in Abakiliki where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) and then proceeded to City and Guilds of London Institute (C&G) on completion of his secondary education in 1984. He later gained admission to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where he studied Electronic Engineering at first degree level and graduated in 1990. The one year mandatory service to his fatherland was done in Dele College of Technology (DTC) in Ondo state from 1990-1991.
Lifetime of Service
On 28th February 1992, he was enlisted into State Security Service (SSS), popularly known as the Department of State Services (DSS) as a cadet officer. He was posted to Abia State command of the service in December 1992 to man the newly established Technical Service Department as the staff officer, Technical (SO Tech), a position he held until June 1996 when the then Head of State, Late General Sani Abacha appointed him as the Chairman, Taskforce on Telecommunication and Postal Offences, Abia State based on his recommendation by the DSS. In 1999, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar(retd.) disbanded the Taskforce, and he was posted to Delta State Command in September as the Principal Staff Officer, Technical (PSO Tech). In April 2002, he was posted to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and deployed to Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre (PC4), Presidential Villa, Abuja. He worked as a staff officer, operations (PSO OPS) of the centre. In 2010, he became an Assistant Director PC4(AD PC4). By March 2013, he became the Acting Director, PC4.
When it became clear to him that his duties in the villa had become a routine and in his efforts to seek for more challenging tasks, he resigned his appointment with the DSS on 8th May, 2013 and joined the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), an interventionist agency created by the three tiers of the Nigerian government (local, state and federal) to address the problems of power shortfall in the country as the head of security. On assumption of duty, he inherited a near moribund security unit whose activities are not properly defined and coordinated. As an expert, he quickly repositioned the unit by assigning specific roles to each personnel in the security unit. By so doing, lapses could easily be identified and traced to persons handling such roles for correction. The approval of the NDPHC’s management to deploy military personnel to all NDPHC’s facilities and installations with the drafting of some members of the special protective unit (SPU) of the Nigeria police to provide escort duty operation to all NDPHC workforce (both local and expatriate) drastically reduced the rate at which NDPHC workforce is being kidnapped and held hostage. Similarly, the security awareness lectures delivered to the personnel of the ten(10)power plants constructed and managed by NDPHC also helped in mitigating the problem of kidnapping and hostage taking of the agency staff. All the measures brought into the conduct of security operations in NDPHC gave rise to a conducive atmosphere where the company’s operations were conducted without fear, intimidation, molestation, or otherwise.
Having simplified the work load of the security unit of NDPHC, Chief Anih, to get busier with things in life and to that end, enrolled for a Post Graduate Diploma(PGD) programme with the Nasarawa State University, Keffi on a part-time basis to study Public Administration. On completion of the PGD programme, Chief Anih went further to enrol for a Masters Degree programme in the same discipline from the same university. By October 2023, he has successfully obtained a Doctor of Philosophy Degree(Ph.D) in public administration.
Philanthropic Enterprise & Recognition
Engr. Chief PMC Anih is the Chairman, Board of Directors of Nwangwu Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) named after his mother as a constant reminder of his mother’s roles in educating the less-privileged. The foundation has successfully empowered hundreds of youths in education, technical enterprise, business as well as payment of medical bills for the aged citizens. His philanthropic gesture earned him the chieftaincy title of Chief Omereoha 1 of Aneke Orji autonomous community by Igwe David Aja, the Okwa II of Aneke Orji Mpu. Similarly, Igwe Cletus Ude Aja, Igbo II of Okom Igbo autonomous community in Mpu bestowed him with the title, Mmiri na ezoro oha of Okom Igbo. In the same vein, the Igbo Catholic Community, Holy Ghost Parish, Kpeyegyi, Abuja crowned him ‘Oka Oburuzo Ndi Igbo’ in Kpeyegyi-Abuja.
While in public service, Chief Anih touched and influenced many lives positively – both when he was serving in the DSS and the NDPHC. His contributions to the growth and development of the young ones earned him the name: ‘Pillar of Security’. He is a member of so many professional bodies relevant to his career.
On March 21, 2025, Engr. Chief Paulinus Munweronye Chris (Ph.D), an icon, philanthropist, astute administrator, moralist, teacher and above all, an expert in his chosen field of work, retired from active public service as a General Manager at his twilight age of 60.
By Dr. Anadi Chukwuma Peter.
