From Italy, he found a home here

Shotly after he was conferred with the status of Nigerian citizen, Chief Giandomenico Massari, an Italian and, general manager of DANALEC Ltd based in Port Harcourt, spoke to DEBO OLADIMEJI on his journey becoming a Nigerian citizen.



Giandomenico Massari since 1992 when he came to Nigeria had been living his life quietly until 2006 when the Eze of Chorlu community in Port Harcourt, River States, B.A Worgu, an engineer, decided to confer on on him the chieftaincy title of Enyioha 1 of Rumuchiorlu.
Far away from his home Town Ancona – Italy, where he was born on November 22, 1954, Massari has found a new home in Nigeria. “Nigeria is my home. I am in good relationship with all the people in the community where I am living”, he says. “So l believe that nobody will harm me.”
Apart from Europe he had lived in South Korea, India, China, Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia. Between 1975 and 1977 he worked at Bontempi Electrical Italy, 1977-1979 at Ferruzzi S.P.A Italy. 1979 and 1983 at Algor Computer System Italy.
Between 1982 and 1986 he worked for Ferruzzi S.P.A. He left Italy to work for Sunoca USA from 1986 to 1986 and 1988 to 1992 at San Martin S.A in Switzerland as Technical Superintendent for Electrical Electronic Instrumentation for Company Ships in charge of design, implementation and modification of tank ship equipment at various dry-dock and yards around the world. His service has also spanned Singapore and Hong Kong.
He came to Nigeria and joined DANALEC Limited PH Nigeria from 1992; and now he sings proudly: “I have to say that lam very proud to be here in Nigeria to work and serve the people. I am always ready to put in my energy and effort to really develop the community that l live in and to make the place a better place.”
He is the brain behind the establishment of Rumuchiorlu Information Technology (IT) centre. To him the locals need to be assisted to develop their potentials.
“I always say that knowledge is power. Knowledge is the new currency. In the sense that the more you know the more you are valued as a person. For that reason, we established an IT Centre to increase the knowledge of the people in the community.
He is also known to give scholarship to children of the less privileged in the community -- from primary school to the university level. Such underprivileged children that he is personally sponsoring in school include: Intubofaa Itiye, a student of Economy at the Niger Delta University (NDU); Fa-fango Itiye, a medical student of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT); Anne Amadi, a student of Accountancy in UNIPORT and Abebe Amadi-Ali, a student of Economy in University of Calabar (UNICAL).
“You have to help these people to make sure that they go to school, so that they will be of benefit to themselves and the community,” he said.
“To live and work in a place means that you should see yourself as part of the people. So you are to integrate with them, without prejudice,” he said.
He has alos been contributing his quotas to the professional bodies he belongs to like the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
“I have no regret. I have a job that is inspiring. I chose to become an engineer because of my passion for the profession,” he enthuses.
Massari is, however, regularly in touch with his people in Italy. “I have a boy and a girl -- Edson Milton and Marina -- and we are always in contact,” he said. His greatest achievement is transmitting knowledge to others. Meeting with new people in the community is another source of joy to me,” he said.
He plans to continue the good work he is been doing in the community and to the professional bodies he belongs; saying “I’m happy when l see other people doing well like me; not other people dying of hunger. I relax by working relating with my friends”.

Massari graduated in Marine Polytechnic, A Elia, Ancona Italy (1969-1974). He proceeded to Trinity University, United Kingdom from 1979-1984 where he had his Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering and Master of Science in Electronic Engineering in 1991. He had a Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI (U.S.A.), where he is currently doing a PhD programme in Electronic Engineering.
Registered at COREN as Electronic Engineer in 1998; he is a member Internet Society (U.S.A.) (1997); member Robotic and Automation Society U.S.A. (1992); member Power Electronic Engineering Society (U.S.A.) (1991); member Power Engineering Society (U.S.A.) (1991 and member Instrumentation Society (U.S.A.) (1991). He also belongs to many other world organisations where he plays key roles.
In Nigeria, he is a member of the Business Committee NSE Port Harcourt Branch (2001 & 2002); member Library and Information Technology Committee NSE Port Harcourt Branch (2001); Chairman Professional Committee IEEE Port Harcourt. He was granted Distinguished Service Award For Dedicated and Loyal Service by Nigeria Society of Engineers PH Branch (2001) and nominated Director of the Company NSEPH Ltd.(2002-till date); nominated Chairman Information Technology and Library Committee NSE Port Harcourt (2002-till date). He is also a member EXCO Nigerian Society of Engineers, Port Harcourt Branch (2002-till date). He was ominated Examiner on Coren Examination panel for the field Electrical/Electronics (2003- till date).