Samuel Ogbemudia, 1932-2017
Two time governor of defunct Bendel State Dr Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia was laid to rest in Benin City last week amidst outpouring of grief and encomiums for a man whose memory will remain unforgettable in the annals of Edo and Delta States and the entire country. Born on September 17, 1932 Ogbemudia died on March […]
Two time governor of defunct Bendel State Dr Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia was laid to rest in Benin City last week amidst outpouring of grief and encomiums for a man whose memory will remain unforgettable in the annals of Edo and Delta States and the entire country. Born on September 17, 1932 Ogbemudia died on March 9, 2017 at the age of 84 after a most illustrious life dedicated to the service of the country and mankind. He attended schools in Nigeria and the Cameroons, while he obtained military training in elite military academies in Ghana, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Among those who paid tribute to him at the funeral were Nigeria’s former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, under whose administration Ogbemudia served in various capacities. Governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki and former governor of the state Adams Oshiomhole as well as a host of other dignitaries also paid tribute to Ogbemudia’s memory. The late Ogbemudia will be remembered as a fine military officer who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Nigerian Army and served in several challenging roles during the early years of military rule in Nigeria and the Nigerian Civil War. He was one of the officers that were involved in the liberation of the defunct Mid West region of the country which became Mid Western State when General Yakubu Gowon’s regime created the twelve state structure for the country in 1967. The state was renamed Bendel State by General Murtala Mohammed in 1976.
Ogbemudia was appointed military governor of that state in 1967 and served for nine years before he was removed from office with the overthrow of the Gowon regime in July 1975. He however bounced back to govern the state eight years later, this time as a duly elected civilian governor in October 1983, on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN. Voters cited his earlier dynamic record in development projects and in his tireless promotion of sports.
The numerous legacies he left behind include the international size Ogbe Stadium, Benin, which was later named after him; National Museum, Aghede Mechanised Farms, Bendel Rural Electrification Board, Bendel Steel, Bendel Pharmaceuticals, Bendel Boatyard and Bendel Lines. Based on the strategic relevance as well as enduring significance of his legacies to the quality of life for the man in the street as well as positioning the state in an enviable position among other states in the country, Ogbemudia occupied a prominent position in the political life of his state right from when it was Bendel to when it was split into Edo and Delta states. By the time he died he was a stalwart of the PDP, while providing elderly advice to the people and governments of the successor states.
Ogbemudia’s legacies and honour bestowed on him even in death provide a telling lesson for later day potentates with respect to the imperative of delivering service in public office with a mind set to change things for the better. Ogbemudia continued his streak of delivering public service even in other areas of public life such as during his tenure as Chairman of National Sports Commission and Sole Administrator of Nigeria Railways Corporation. In each of these offices he proved to be the game changer by taking them to higher levels than he met them.
With his death the country has lost another rare gem, another leader of proven integrity and patriotism whose absence will be felt for a long time to come. At this period of national reorientation towards reinvention, the legacies of Ogbemudia will prove invaluable for emulation by present day leaders. We join millions of Nigerians in paying condolences to the bereaved family of the departed leader. The legacies of their beloved father have assured for him an enviable place in the pantheon of icons of the Nigerian nation. May his soul rest in perfect peace.