At Umuahia he was proficient in nearly all sports but excelled in Cricket in which he was an outstanding bowler. He won the prestigious Resident’s Bat in 1956 and was the college Cricket Captain in 1956/57 season and led the team to a very successful tour of Western Region.

On leaving school in April 1957,Okoye started his working career as a trainee Agent in John Holt Ltd., Port-Harcourt and left two months later to join UAC Ltd. as a Trainee Manager. He joined the Nigerian Railway Corporation in April 1958 as a Technical Assistant-in-Training, a succession plan effort of the colonial administrators.

This was a good opportunity for him to study at the same time earn a living in the absence of any meaningful background financial support. After preliminary studies in the Railway training school and workshops and at Yaba college of Technology, Suxxex, England where he graduated with Diploma in Mechanical/Production Engineering. After completing the mandatory periods of pupilage in the British Railways locomotives and rolling stock workshops, he returned to Nigerian in 1965 to take up appointment as mechanical engineer with the NRC. He was elected a Chartered Engineer (C. Eng.) and associate Member of the British institution of Mechanical Engineers. (AMIMechE). He finally became a COREN Registered Engineer and a member of Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE). He served the NRC at various levels of workshops management and traveled extensively to training courses and workshops to many countries, UK, USA, France, Austria, Spain, India, Kenya and china. His career in NRC was only interrupted by the Nigerian Civil War of 1967/70 when Enugu Railway Mechanical Workshop was transformed to the pioneer development and production workshop of the Biafran Research and Production Directorate. During this period Okoye acquired a lot of experience as the Production Engineer of the Railway Unit, interacting extensively with Biafran scientists and military in the production of war materials, weapons and civilian survival efforts such as home made refineries and village food processing appliance.

At end of the war he returned to the railway where he rose through the ranks to retire as Ass director in 1993 after 35 years of service. He was soon recalled by the NRC management to complete the railway projects financed from World Bank loan for the Federal Government Transport Parastatals. When a Sole administrator was appointed in 1995 for the ailing orporation engr. Okoye was again recalled from retirement as Officer-on Special Duties in charge of Mechanical/Electrical Engr. Dept and later made a Technical Adviser to the Sole Administrator. He finally retired in the year 2000 and now consulting on railway mechanical engineering matters.

Okoye is blessed with a charming wife who is a retired teacher and six successful children (fours women and two men) and eight grand children. as his contribution to the success of this association, he has been the treasurer of Lagos Branch since the year 2002.

CNC Nweke - President, GCUOBA Lagos Branch

P.N. Obidike (Engr, Chief, Sir.)

Prof. Eugene Onyekwelu Arene

Barr. Uchenna Chinenye Ihediwa

Barr. Theodore Anachuna Ezeobi (SAN)

Engr. David Faybian Ejikeme Obianyor

Engr. Dominic Okafor Igboesoka Ekesi

Ben Anene Osuno

HRH, Prof. Laz Edward Nwanyelu Ekwueme

Engr. Bertram Ogugua Anyaoku

Surv. Damian Anaekperechi Nzenwa

Col. Anthony Okoro Eze

Engr. Joseph A. Iro

Engr. L.A.O Amu

Sir. Chike Onyeka

Chukwuemeka Ifezulike