Oduoye: Detective And Senator Extraordinary

THE sudden death of His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon Oduoye, erstwhile Military Administrator of Niger and Ebonyi States, brought severe pains and great sorrows to us.

His demise has irreversibly decimated the rapidly declining strength of Nigerian patriots. It is painful but glorious in the sight of the Lord when a faithful dies.

His death is an irreplaceable loss in an inauspicious season. At a time when Nigeria could hardly afford to dispense with the services of her best brains, best informed minds, most resourceful and patriotic citizens in her polity, the icy hands of death surreptitiously stole and froze the innocuous soul of His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon Oduoye on the 21 of March, 2014.

His demise is the greatest catastrophe that ever befell his Ikirun Community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State. He was a Statesman, a gentleman, a fine officer and a citizen of high integrity. The eternal pain in death lies in the fact that when a person dies such a person is never to be seen again. Every page in his life bears the Signature of God. He is a visible expression of God’s glory. We will continue to admire, appreciate and love him even in death.

Besides, “life is like a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. When beggars die no comets are seen but the Heavens themselves blaze forth the death of Princes” (William Shakespare).

His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon Oduoye was born on 13 of April, 1945. He was educated in Nigeria and England. He enlisted as a young Cadet Officer in the Nigeria Police Force on 1st of July, 1965, prepared to lose his life in defence of Nigeria and in the protection of Nigerians. The decision was informed by a specific sense of patriotic mission. He was initially trained at the Basic and Advanced Wings in the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos. It rapidly metamorphosed into an extremely challenging, exciting, impressive and intellectually rewarding Career. He was well trained and exposed in Nigeria, the UK and many parts of the World in professionalism, management ethics, operational skills and rationality. His good character, excellent exposure, diligence and impressive performance continued to graciously shape his perception, attitude and aspirations in life. He rose rapidly through the ranks and became a Commissioner of Police. He held high command positions in Lagos, Enugu, Owerri and Benin City as State Commissioner of Police. The ranks and standing of officers then were largely regulated by personal merit, efficiency, experience, competence, loyalty and discipline.

His Career was eventful, inspirational, healthy and rewarding as it spanned beyond three decades. He worked in various Departments including Administration, Investigation and Operations. He was diligent in performance hence his superiors constituently requested from him the best in performance, decency, humility and integrity. They constantly branded him a brilliant manager of crises, men, money, resources and materials. His superiors tested him seriously morally, tried him endemically professionally and sporadically examined him intellectually. They found him worthy in character, brilliant in learning, resilient in the management of crises, resolute and impressive in performance. Progressively, they decided what roles, duties and responsibilities he would play in our quest for sustainable Nation building.

On the l5th of August, 1996 while serving as Police Provost Marshal at the Force Headquarters, Kam Salem House, Lagos, he was suddenly appointed a Military Administrator of Niger State. At the time of his appointment as a Military Administrator, there Were sixty six Commissioners of Police in Nigeria but only, two of them, Prince Oyakhire, OON, Ph.D and himself were so appointed. The appointment placed him centrally in the course of events and a position of very high visibility in Nigeria. It is not an ambition for a Senior Police officer to become a Governor whilst in Service in Nigeria no matter how intellectually articulate and perspicuously professional.

It is not in the Career prospects. He did not join the Police Force to become a Governor. He became a Governor only as a fulfillment of Destiny. He governed two States, Niger and Ebonyi, from 15th August, 1996 to 2 May, 1999 without blemish. His activities in governance were politically eventful, symbolically monumental, intellectually productive and praise-worthy. He was often described even by the Clergy as the Biblical Daniel who towered beyond his equals in the Service of God and mankind. He was eloquent, sincere and knowledgeable in leadership. There were vivid discernible improvements in the internal competence, effectiveness, efficiency and productivity in Public Service Delivery. Workers happily enjoyed the dignity of Labour. Their enhanced remunerations and other factors of welfarism resulted in reasonable living standards which comfortably sustained them far beyond poverty lines.

Their take-home pay took them home comfortably. They gladly thanked God and eulogised the Military Governor. He left Niger and Ebonyi States with a deep sense of satisfaction, euphoria and nostalgia. Candidly, he left behind in the two States a more creative, productive, vibrant and socially responsive Public Service. He governed in the North and also governed in the South.

Besides, he gave the Police, his original Constituency, a credible image in the course of his Service to the Nation. He and AIG Prince Oyakhire, OON, Ph.D were the only two Police officers among the thirty six Military Administrators. His Service as a Military Governor was unique. He served under two Military Heads of State in two Governments and in two different States. It is possible to serve twice in one State or in two States under one Head of State. He governed the two States very well by the assessment of most Nigerians. He lived peacefully in the comfort of the Lord. He was the highest and finest example of professional decency. Indeed, he was already Excellent long before he became His Excellency AIG Simeon Oduoye.

His Excellency Oduoye, as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, conducted himself creditably, reminiscent of well known civilised conduct in the Service of humanity. He was a Senator extraordinary. He was a highly knowledgeable law maker in the National Assembly. He and a few others strongly opposed the jumbo pay Senate approved for National Assembly Law Makers in November 2010. His ideas, opinions and pieces of advice were always weighty, incisive, lofty, searching and penetrating.

He was extremely frank, perspicuously articulate, forthright, unhesitating and the very model of a Military history as well as British Law Maker. His brilliant contributions at the Senate of the National Assembly to Bills and Motions, some of which he sponsored, Committees, Oversight functions and Constituency duties were prominent and very highly commendable. His outstanding traits, expressive language, pleasant disposition and high level of civilisation fascinated him consistently to mankind. Sons and daughters of Kings were often found among dignitaries in his company.

His simplicity, unfettered humility, innate wisdom, astonishingly retentive memory and modesty impeccably sustained him as a fine example of decency among virtuous men whose praises are regularly sung in Scriptures. A devout Christian faithful, with robust faith who savours the tenets of Christianity, with malice towards none but with charity for all and a consuming compelling passion for doing good. He possessed what is lacking in most men of today and represented what is generally desired in society. May God accept his gentle soul into Paradise.

His Excellency AIG Oduoye disciplined his life and ordered his priorities right. His success story draws its strength for the credibility his judgments brought into governance, the practice of law, his flexible leadership style, his intellectual empowerment, forthrightness, sincerity of purpose and sympathy for the poor, widows, orphans and the needy. He never, ever acted beyond reasonable limits of decency. He was a visible expression of God’s glory. We heartily salute His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon Oduoye as a deserving man of honour.

We graciously salute him as a great patriot. We strongly salute him as a man of integrity, intellect, professional talents and high ethical standards. He was immensely peaceful and well endowed with impeccable social credentials. He was generally loved as a great Moralist. His organic effigy is unquestionably fit to adorn the Nation’s Hall of Fame as a living Legend of our time. He was diligent, resilient, resourceful, temperate, culturally healthy and professionally skilled. He was physically robust, mentally alert, emotionally stable and spiritually balanced. His tutorials, judgments, verdicts and decisions as a Police officer of immense professional talents and as a Senator extraordinary were prudent, constructive and witty. He read avidly, consulted widely, related properly and researched extensively on diverse issues particularly those relating to laws, politics, health, religion and governance.

His language and style were fluid, authoritative, instructive, comprehensible and convincing. He was modest, unassuming and absolutely innocuous. He was very good in character, brilliant in learning, incredibly intelligent and highly impressive in performance.

He was a visible example of decency, modesty and morality. He paid meticulous attention to details and consequently only very little could occasionally escape his attention. Indeed, he was a fine combination of fidelity, intellect and integrity. May God mercifully accept his near sinless life into Paradise.

His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon Oduoye lived, worked and died for Nigeria. He served God, Nigeria and mankind faithfully, patriotically, diligently and selflessly. He consistently exhibited strict cardinal virtues of honesty, sincerity, resourcefulness, transparency and accountability expected of honest people who occupy public positions of trust, great responsibility and high visibility. He was mild and convincing in speech, flexible and logical in arguments but firm in principles and reasonable in conclusions. He never, ever acted beyond reasonable limits of decency. He is a major part of anything good in this World. He was a virtuous pedigree of nobility, a success compilation, a residual of wisdom, a pragmatic philosopher, a lover of humanity, a fine example of immutable fidelity and a notable clear-thinking-headed personality. His quality as a person cannot be exactly expressed in words but suffice to say that he was highly disciplined, smart, valiant, sublime, informed and well connected.

Nigerians are highly impressed by his kindness, patience, hardwork, sacrifice, decency as a person, courage, steadfastness and determination. We will continue to mourn him as long as the sad memory lingers on in our minds. We are consoled that as mortals death is an inevitability, is a truism, a cruel necessity and is the last enemy yet to be destroyed We pray for the repose of His Excellency AIG Senator Simeon ODUOYE’S kind, simple, gentle olden, peaceful, pious and lovely soul. May God forgive him for any act of transgression and keep his soul in Paradise until that morning of the resurrection day when the living and the dead will be reunited to part no more. Your Excellency, rest in peace. Goodbye. Odigba. Odigbo se.