Born in September 5th, 1965 in Ofoni Federated Communities in Sagbama Local Government Area of BAyelsa State into the aristocratic family of late Chief and Mrs Awhowho Ewhrudjakpo, Mr. Lawrence Oborawhareivwo Ewhrudjakpo is an efficacious savvy management consultant with specialty in change management. A legal practitioner with an au-fait in governance, health systems, management and reforms, capacity building and training, facilitation, feasibility studies and sector analysis and development, cum action plans development, knowledge management and resource mobilization.
At age 6, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo attended the Ebikimiye Primary School, Kpakiama, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1976. Then he proceeded to Government College Bomadi in 1982 and later proceeded to Community Secondary School, Ofoni in 1987 where he obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC).
Lawrence started his tertiary education odyssey in the prestigious Rivers State College of Health Technology, spatially located in Port Harcourt the Capital of Rivers State, between 1989 to 1991 where he obtained a Diploma in Community Health. Upon completion of his Diploma course in Community Health, Lawrence’s quest for advanced knowledge thrusted him to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt between 1991 to 1996 where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) in Secretarial Administration. In 1998, he returned to his alma mater – the Rivers State University of Science and Technology for a Master’s studies in Business Administration and consequently obtained a MBA, Management Option in 2000.
Having completed his Master’s studies in Business Administration (Management Option), in a bid to become versatile, enhance his juridical understanding and essentially guide his endeavors as a social being, he secured admission to study law in the same citadel of learning, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where he bagged L.L.B. Hons Law, between 2002 to 2007.
Lawrence insatiable quest for knowledge is unprecedented. At the time he was studying Law in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, he was also studying Change Management in Said Business School, Oxford University, United Kingdom; a certificate course he took between 2006 to 2007. Also, between 2008 to 2009 he took a yet another Master’s studies in Science of Coaching and Consulting for Change, in HEC School of Management, Paris, France.
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo was called to Bar in 2009 after completing his Law School programme at the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja. Having qualified as a Barrister, he took a Diploma course in Mediation, Negotiation and Arbitration, at the Centre for Conflict Resolution, Ghana. Between 2011 to 2012, it was imperative for him to advanced his juridical cognition and so he took a Master’s course in the Birmingham City University, United Kingdom and consequently obtained LLM in International Human Rights Law.
He is a quintessential Management Consultant, Legal Practitioner and a Community Health Practitioner whose cognition is au-fait. He has served in various capacity. His leadership prowess and cognate experiences are essentially fab. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo served as a Principal Partner in GoldMark Chambers from 2009 to 2012, as a Solicitor and Advocator.
Between 1996 to 2003, he served as the Secretary General of National Association of Community Health Practitioner of Nigeria (NACHPN). In 2003 he was elevated to serve as the Executive Secretary of NACHPN, with responsibilities to oversee the body administration, make tactical and strategic decision for the leadership; Act as Secretary of all committees, cum production and presentation of minutes of meetings, annual scientific conference organization, finance management and resource mobilization. A position he held up to 2012.
Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made tremendous contributions as a Managing Director at Otigra Resources whose responsibility was to ensured policy conceptualization, planning, designing, implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of service procurement and delivery, as well as coordinating and managing of projects, 1996 – 2004. In 2004, he was appointed as the South South Zonal Coordinator by Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria.
He served as Board Member/ Chairman Finance and General Purpose Committee, Bayelsa State Capital City Development Authority, between 2006 to 2008. He also served the Bayelsa State Government between 1996 to 2004 as an Assistant Coordinator, Monitoring and Evaluation with a responsibility for Health Information Management. Between 1992 to 1996, he served the Rivers State Government of Nigeria as Head of Administration Primary Health Care Department, Port Harcourt City Council. Also, he served the Rivers State Government from 1993 to 1996 as Secretary Task Force on Clean up Port Harcourt. He was also the Officer incharge of Ambuloma Health Centre, under the Rivers State Government between 1991 to 1992, as Head of Administration and Clinical Services.
He displayed exceptional versatility, competency, capacity and exceptionality when he held sway as commissioner of works and infrastructure in Bayelsa State. He had participated in both local and international conferences; for instance, in 2009 Lawrence was a member of Community/ Health Practitioner Committee. In 2002 and 2004, he was a member of Nigeria’s Delegation on Health Sector Reform to the Republic of Ghana, Republic of South Africa and Republic of Tanzania, respectively. He was a member of Nigeria’s Delegation on Change Management to the United Kingdom in 2006. He participated in study tour: Health System Trust (HST) Foundation in South Africa, in 2004.
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo contributed immensely to knowledge development through presentation of papers in both local and international gatherings. Some of the papers he had presented include but not limited to; Managing Change for Effective Organizational Development, at the Retreat for board members of community health Practitioners registration of Nigeria, 2009; Role of Media in Ensuring Sustainable Health Sector Reform, a paper presented to selected journalists, South South, South West, South East and North West.
Mr. Lawrence was a member of National Health Bill Drafting Committee; also Chairman Advisory Board Youths Movement for African Development YOMAD) 2018. He’s a Director: Field Marshall Engineering Limited 2001. Lawrence is a member of Nigerian Bar Association, the Change Leaders International (TCL), National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN).
In April 2012, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo was appointed by the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson as the Honourable Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure. And was later reappointed in 2016; a position he held till August 2018, before he answered the call to serve the people of Bayelsa West Senatorial Didtrict in the Nigerian Senate. Lawrence brought his leadership prowess to bare, his reign as commissioner of Works and Infrastructure recorded tremendous improvement and transformation in the Ministry of works and infrastructure. In his time, the ministry became more productive, efficient and effective that there are wide spread of infrastructural development across the state. He was instrumental to the huge infrastructural development in Bayelsa state through the political will and intervention of Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson’s led Restoration Government, particularly the Sagbama/ Ekeremor road under construction by the ministry of works and infrastructure which he held and rejigged.
On October 2nd, 2018, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo was elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP) to represent the people of Bayelsa West senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate, polling a total of 49,912 votes. He was consequently sworn in on June 11th, 2019, alongside 106 (out of 109) others as Senators of the 9th Assembly.
A fervid Christian inoculated with the rectitude of service to humanity as well as God Almighty. Lawrence is a member of Roman Catholic Church.
His hobbies include playing Footfall, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Reading, Music and Current Affairs.
