Watching His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, Executive Governor of Edo State, on Channels Television Sports Programme this morning (01/03/18), as he unveiled the rebrandedBendel Insurance Football Club,provided the clue on where to start this tribute, which deep emotions had prevented one from writing in the past few weeks.
The year 1973 which was referred to in the programme immediately called to mind that year’s National Sports Festival and the spectacular performance of the Midwest contingent. On the 29th of May, 1973, Col. Ogbemudia (as he then was), addressed the coaches and athletes inter alia as follows: ‘‘It is my pleasure and indeed, great honour to welcome you all to this camp [Afeze]…I am sure that you all will fell like that this is the most momentous occasion in my life, in your lives and in the lives of all Midwesterners…If the operation is successful, it will revolutionise the basis of our thinking and behaviour and create for ourselves , the Midwestern State, an enviable image. I am a believer in making history, rather than writing it. That being so, those of us assigned certain duties should play our parts so well as to leave behind enough evidence to convince future historians that those of us here…have lived and died for a worthy cause, a cause which has enhanced the image of our country…My dream and ambition are limited to leading a team of heroes and heroines in a crusade that will immortalise the Midwestern State and place Nigeria on the map of world sports. Our watch-word is discipline. No nation can succeed without discipline…’’

Of course, Midwest went on to win that year’s and subsequent years’ sports festivals. Indeed before then, the Midwest under Ogbemudia had in 1968 drawn up a five-year programme aimed at winning the Challenge Cup in 1972, which was won! ‘‘The secrete behind the performance’’, he said ‘‘was simple and clear: The planning and execution must reflect the objective’’. That indeed had been, and it can be confidently added, remained the man’s ethos until he transited. From close observation for upwards of two and a half decades, it came out clear that the Gen did not take his personal intelligence – which he had in rare abundance – for granted. He combined this with great discipline, exhaustive planning and efficient execution. And, although he believed in team work, he was always there too to lead, to show personal example. Lesser mortals would have become self-conceited and arrogate to themselves the sole proprietorship of our collective patrimony.

As Federal Minister, he always attended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings with prepared memoranda, whether or not the subject emanated from his Ministry. This took inescapable on his aides. There were no Personal Computers or Lap Tops at that time, so his Secretary had to constantly carry big Desk Tops and heavy Printers from Lagos (where the Ministries were) to Abuja (where the Head of State had relocated to). This was so because the Gen always worked far into the night and often times, through to the morning of the meetings, ensuring that all points were adequately captured, and that enough copies were produced for his colleagues and the cabinet secretariat. It is apposite to recall here that this was the reason why the late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as Federal Commissioner for Finance and Vice Chairman of the FEC, refunded to the Midwest monies spent on certain federal projects. Asked why he treated Midwest exceptionally, Chief Awolowo replied that Gov Ogbemudia always came prepared with his memoranda which had detailed and verifiable subjects.

It was not unusual for Gen. Ogbemudia to give you an assignment, after a hard day’s job, to work on against the following day. With a sigh of relief you retire to sleep only to receive a call by 2am. With a polite voice he would greet and ask if he could see whatever you may have done on the assignment he gave the previous day. You take what you have done, complete or incomplete and go over to his residence only to meet him working in his private office. ‘‘That’s the Flask and your cup, make tea or coffee for yourself’’. The day had begun!
One cannot avoid recalling an innocuous but very instructive event during his days as Labour Minister. He wanted to start the National Sanitation Scheme under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). He discussed with and asked the Director General to bring the Engineers and other relevant professionals in the NDE to his office. At the meeting, he directed them to design an industrial size Incinerator to burn refuse. He gave them two weeks to do so, during which period he dashed to Benin and got some technicians in his private firm, to construct large mobile trays (much like flat trollies) for ashes and special bicycles with carriage that would be used to carry the refuse from individual houses to the site of the Incinerator. While supervising these, he created time to personally design the Incinerator, intoning that he was not sure that the Engineers will succeed. Two weeks later, he summoned them and they presented three different incomplete sketches, with the professionals disagreeing over concepts. The Gen then produced his own design, to their total amazement. One of them observed that the Incinerator was not on the ground, to which the Gen explained that he deliberately raised it two feet above ground level to enable the giant trays to be rolled underneath the Incinerator from different sides, into which the ashes from the burnt materials would drop.

Gen. Ogbemudia went on to personally supervise the construction of the Incinerator. He will arrive the site at Makoko, Yaba, Lagos at 5am every morning and work till 7am. By 8 am he would already be seated in his office, only to return to the site at 5pm after the day’s office work. In another two weeks, the Incinerator, Generator and all other equipment and facilities were ready. The Lagos State Administrator (Governor) at that time, Col. (now retd Brig. Gen. Olagunsoye Oyinlola (immediate past Governor of Osun State)was on hand to commission it. That pilot phase of the sanitation sceme took off. The Bicycles collected refuse from houses in designated streets in the area. Soap was produced from the ashes in different shapes (using moulds) and in different colours and fragrance (using colouring and perfumes). But the Gen soon left Government and the rest, as it is said, is history.

Punctuality was second nature to Gen. Ogbemudia, even at old age. At 65, he would fix a meeting at his Benin residence for 8am, even while in Lagos the previous day. He would be seen working in Lagos and the conclusion could be reached that the meeting would no longer hold or that he won’t attend. But by 3am, he would hit the road, arrive Benin before 7am and spend the next hour ensuring that the instructions he had detailed out for the meeting are all carried out. By 7.45am, he would take his seat, armed with the papers and materials for the meeting! If you thought that he was young enough at 65 to do that, you will be wrong, for he continued to leave Benin by road at 4am to keep midday appointment in Abuja, and he will arrive ahead of other persons! At 80, he was still keeping strictly to time. As pro Chancellor and chairman of governing Council of the University of Abuja – a job he did until he passed on – Gen. Obeemudia would arrive for meetings 30 minutes before time and spend some 15 minutes chatting with the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and other functionaries that may be around. By 10 minutes to the appointed time, he will take his seat and exchange pleasantries with Council members until the exact time, and he will call the meeting to other. His painstakingness, attention to minute details, knowledge and quick grasp of issues, broad mindedness and incomparable ability to carry everybody along, marvelled all. He once requested to meet with all the Professors in the University. During the introductory protocols, he engaged each one of them in his/her own field. A distinguished Professor there described him as an encyclopaedia.

Writing on the General’s age, is perhaps an opportunity to comment, in passing, on the on-going crave for the reduction of the minimum age to stand for election. This is not exactly new in our constitutional annals. During the first republic, it was 21 years for the House of Representatives and 40 years for the Senate. For the second republic, under the 1979 Constitution, 21 years was retained for the House while the age for the Senate which became an elective chamber, was reduced to 30. However, the 1999 Constitution increased the age to 30 and 35 years for the House and the Senate, respectively. This appears to be the basis of the case of the agitators. It should added here that before now, the regime of Gen. I. B. Babangida had enunciated the concept of ‘‘new breed’’ politics, under which young persons were encouraged to get involved in politics and contest elections. While endorsing the crave of the young, or for younger persons to be involved, it is important to make two points: first, young persons should not wait to be recruited, but mobilise themselves and give a good account of their numbers, education and generation in politics generally, but more importantly in government. Second, old age, as the case of Gen. Ogbemudia demonstrates, is not and should not be a bar to contributions to public service, either advisory or none executive capacity, subject to individual’s mental and physical energies. As the late Dan Masanin Kano, Alh. Yusuf Maitama Sule said, the energy and exuberance of the youths are needed as much as the wisdom and sobriety of the elders.

One should also like to take advantage of this first year anniversary of the General’s passage, to recall the activities of many of his compatriots and followers, and thank them for the various steps they have been taking to keep alive some of their late leader’s activities. In this regard, the efforts of the leadership of Edo Mass Movement (EMM) are worthy of commendation. After Gov. Obaseki assumed office, EMM Executives, led by Jerry Alegbe, paid him a congratulatory/solidarity visit, armed with some well-articulated programmes (as their late leader would do) which they delivered to a very grateful host. Also, when some pensioners staged protest actions around the King’s Square, and later held meetings at the Teachers House, Siluko Road (both in Benin City), same leaders of EMM intervened and brokered peace. Impressed by this, they paused their meeting to observe a minute’s silence in his honour. Similarly, leaders of the Enunuedo Group, Midwest/Bendel Consultative Council, Iheya Residents Association, etc, all deserve commendation.

To recapitulate on the praises of the distinguished Professor at the University of Abuja, heretofore referred, it was certainly not the only time the Gen received such accolades. Indeed his great life sojourn is replete with similar eulogies: Be it in the Army where he was reputed as the best ever mortar officer, owing to his shooting precision (many local folks claimed that his mother gave him super natural powers and foresight!!); or at the Nigeria Railways where he was described as a magic man, owing to the feat he performed within a very short time in restoring dead and abandoned locomotives, buggies and coaches; or at the Refinery where he was called a genius engineer, owing to the repairs of the catalytic engine which he personally carried out with his own workers from Benin and his dissection of the entire refining process; or at the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria where he was called a world class agronomist; or in politics where the late Chief Ojo Madueke referred to him as the peace maker-General; or in sports where he was severally acclaimed as administrator par excellence; or in leadership where the late Rev. Fr. Theophilus Uwaifo described him as the expert; or in human relations where the indomitable Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomholec called him the father of all.

While all these epithets are correct and deserving, it is appropriate to conclude this tribute with the views of Gov. Obaseki, with whom this piece was started. Reference here is made not to all the good things he said and did when the Gen died (for which God will bless him greatly), but to his remarks on Ogbemudia after his many visits to the man, first as an aspirant and later as candidate for the last gubernatorial election in Edo State. Obaseki revealed that Ogbemudia was the only leader her consulted who never asked for money or anything but always engaged him on his plan and programmes, offering advice on every issue and making his own suggestions. ‘‘I will certainly consult this man to run my Government’’, he assured. Regrettably, the Gen passed on as the Gov was settling into office. Little wonder the Governor has been revisiting and completing many projects started by the Ognbemugia administration which could not be concluded before he left office. It is believed that the Gov is still as grieved as some of us, over the passage of our Gen. We ask him and every one to brace up, for as Gen. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia himself used to say, ‘‘the struggle continues’’. May God rest him, eternally.
Dr.Eugene Okolocha (former SA to Gen. Obgemudia. Now law lecturer, UniAbj)