Senator Taharqa Obika was born in Point Fortin in Self Help on School Road in 1983.
Parents
His parents were NJAC representatives in Point Fortin and engaged in educational and cultural activities. His parents conducted the Butler Institute of Learning and Labour inviting university lecturers to Point Fortin to train, certify and educate residents.
Taharqa fondly recalls his mother Dela Obika conducting literacy classes in Egypt Government Primary and Point Fortin RC School.
His father provided many families with African names for their children and even conducted the naming ceremonies. His father Nyahuma Obika contested the Point Fortin seat in 2010 for NJAC under the people’s partnership and subsequently was appointed Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Early Days
Taharqa Obika attended Miss Yuille’s Private School and Point Fortin ASJA Muslim Primary School. During his Primary school years the Obika family moved to Harriman Park.
In 1994 Taharqa passed Common Entrance 11-plus exam for his first choice Presentation College San Fernando. From 1996 to 2001 Taharqa attended Presentation College from Marabella a closer location to school.
In 2001 he graduated from Presentation College after completing the A-Level examinations in Economics, Management of Business and Geography.
First Jobs
2001 Taharqa Obika moved to Port of Spain to take up his first job at the Cooperative Credit Union League of Trinidad and Tobago an umbrella body for Credit Unions.
In 2002 Obika took up a teaching post in Elizabeth’s College in Tobago where he taught Math and Economics.
University Education
From 2003 to 2006 Taharqa Obika attended the University of the West Indies where he attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ecomomics. He also served as the university futsal team goalkeeper, President of the UWI African Society and served on the Student Senate of the UWI St Augustine Campus.
The Economist
In 2006 Taharqa Obika served as an Economist in the Ministry of Trade followed by a posting to the Division of Finance at the Tobago House of Assembly.
In 2007 Obika served as a lecturer in Economics and Culinary Math at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute. A job he would do in a part time capacity until 2012.
From 2008 to 2012 Obika was a Business Development Officer in the Cooperative Development Division of the Ministry of Labour with responsibility for St Patrick and St Andrew & St David counties. It was at this time he returned to Point Fortin.
Masters Degree Education
2012 to 2015 Obika left the shores of the Caribbean to pursue a Masters of Business Administration in Finance in Ghana.
Banking Career
From 2014 to 2015 he worked as the Executive Assistant to the Director of African Operations of Republic Bank in Ghana.
In August 2015, Obika returned to Trinidad and Tobago to work in Republic Bank’s head office as a Senior Credit Analyst.
In 2017 Obika served as Head of Operations for the Central Finance Facility Cooperative Society developing its mortgage finance product. He also resumed lecturing in Economics at the TTHTI (also known as hotel school) in Chaguaramas in 2017.
An avid believer in entrepreneurship development Obika started his own firm TT Business Coach Ltd in 2017. He secures financing for his clients and coaches business leaders.
Marriage
Taharqa got married in Ghana to Akofa of Togo (West African) in 2015. Together, Taharqa Obika and his wife engage in the trade of African products including African fabric, shea butter, black soap among other commodities. Several families in Point Fortin engage their services whether it be at the children’s Daycare on Mainfield Road or after service at the Methodist Church in Point Fortin.
Senator Obika and his wife are the proud parents of a daughter and a son.
Senate Appointment
In September 2017 Taharqa Obika became a Senator in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago for the United National Congress. This was upon the invitation of the Political Leader of the UNC Mrs Kamla Persad