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.
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