His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Simon Ayogu Eze, CON whose earthly sojourn sadly petered out in the early hours of 24th April 2024 after three score and five years was a many-sided giant like the proverbial elephant and a portrayer of him must be careful lest he pours more encomium on one side at the expense of another. Towering head and shoulders above contemporaries in size, height, intellect, oratory prowess, writing skills, intimidating mien, charisma, courage, Sen Ayogu Eze mobilized all these attributes to his advantage to advance his cause . Like Nwaka in Arrow of God, the owner of word, Ayogu could move his audience to either side of an issue, depending on which side he stood for.
Aa a man l knew and who knew me from my cradle, l can write a full book on him. In the build up to 1983 general elections when l was barely 7 years young , my house was a rendezvous for young politicians of his generation who were either in or about to gain admission into tertiary institutions. I liked to admire him and his friends as they discussed politics and issues. Although, l could not understand most of what he said because they were delivered in English with a smattering of lgbo language but l was held spellbound by how he said them and how he canvassed his ideas to teach, entertain and delight his audience . His eloquence, articulateness, and gestures were not lost on me and l wanted to be like him when l grow and if l grow up. He was then a student of lnstitute of Management and Technology, Enugu where he contested for but lost election as the Students Union President, for reasons that never had to do with incompetence but for shenanigans, intrigues and betrayal that characterize politics which almost always sacrifice meritocracy on the altar of mediocrity as we witnessed in the last presidential election.
Armed with a HND in his file, courage, tenacity, and adroit sense of a mission, Ayogu sojourned to Lagos in mid 80s where he was to make a brilliant career in journalism, writing for such National newspapers and Magazines as Guardian Newspapers, Platform and Newswatch Magazines where he rose to an associate editor before abandoning Journalism to join Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo’s administration as Special Assistant in 1993. His house in 10 Akinwunmi Street, Oko Oba, Abule Egba was nicknamed an Embassy because it was a home for all school leavers, applicants, holidayers etc from our place and beyond
As a Special Assistant to the governor, he was a member of the kitchen cabinet of that administration, bringing to bear in the discharge of his assignment, his sterling, stellar and superior qualities, and earning to himself recognition, respect and admiration from not only those in government but outside, leading to the conferment of Chieftaincy title as Ebubedike of Ozzi nation and Okwulora of Ogrute land. After that government was sacked on 17th Nov, l993 by Abacha, Ayogu was thrown out of both his job and his official residence by the military and he had to be operating from my elder brother’s apartment in Okwojo, Ngwo until he moved into CBN quarters.
Following the death of Abacha in 1996, the appointment of Abdulsalam Abubakar as the Head of State and the unveiling of the new leader’s transition programme for a return to civil rule, Ayogu joined hands with other political actors for the formation of People’s Democratic Party and served as its pinoeer State Secretary in Enugu. When Dr Chimaraoke Nnamani was elected the governor of Enugu, Ayogu was appointed Commissioner for Information and Culture and later moved to Tourism.
Ayogu ennobled all positions he held with unparalleled panache and aura,. As a senator, his voice was heard, resonating beyond the red chamber. Ayogu literally opened employment doors to many of our graduates.
In November, 1993 when l went to collect my WAEC registration fee from my brother and the amount was not readily available , it was to him we went to at Government House, Enugu where he gave us Seven Hundred Naira. and when that WAEC result was seized, l wrote to him. I was later to see a copy of the letter he wrote to the Registrar of WAEC , demanding the release of our results when l was rummaging in documents in my elder brother’s apartment. It was Ayogu that facilitated my admissions to study Political Science and later Laws in University of Nigeria, using his contacts with the then Vice Chancelllors, Professors Umaru Gomwalk and Chinedu Nebo when l could not make the primary lists.
Like all humans, he was not without shortcomings. Ayogu’s greatest shortcoming many accused him of was looking down on those he should look up to, He relied on those at the top for his electoral success and not from those below. Many also believed he was inaccessible. Not a few believed he was not given to allowing all air their views and deciding an issue based on the preponderance of opinion and superiority of ideas but on his whims and caprices..
Whatever were his shortcomings, his positive attributes dwarf them and we must draw lessons from both. Our world will never be the same again because he is no more. We thought we could have you forever .God, give us another Ayogu. His death is a painful defoliation of one of our finest.
As the behemoth leaves, his gargantuan footprints on the sands of time, his unequalled place in our senatorial history, his tremendous contribution to the political development of Enugu State, nay Nigeria shall live on.
Good Night Sir
Adieu Ebubedik
Ladooore Okwulora
Oke Agu N’eyi ibe ye egwu. A n’eshieri ike
