Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, former military and Civilian
Governor of the defunct Midwest and Bendel is dead.
Mr Sam Ogbemudia Jr,
who confirmed the death of his father to journalists at the deceased’s
residence on Friday in Benin.
He said his father died
on Thursday at a private hospital in Lagos at the age of 84, adding that he
would miss everything about his father.
He said his father
taught him almost everything in life, from childhood to adult.
Ogbemudia said: “I
learnt so much from him. He was a wonderful man. I will miss everything about
him.
The News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late Ogbemudia was a former Military
administrator of the old Mid-Western state from September 1967-1975.
Ogbemudia was elected
Governor of the defunct Bendel August 1983 on the platform of the National
Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Meanwhile, Mrs
Elizabeth Ativie, Deputy Speaker, Edo House of Assembly, has described the late
Ogbemudia as a detribalised Nigerian.
Ativie told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Ogbemudia’s transition was a sad loss to the
nation.
She described Ogbemudia
as an elder statesman and an apostle of democracy who maintained a firm belief
in the rule of law and fair play.
“The news was shocking;
we have lost a leader and bridge builder. He has contributed a lot to sustain
democracy and the development of the nation.
“He is a good adviser,
no matter the issue you take to him, you are sure that you will get good advice
from him,” she said.
According to her, the
power of life and death is in the hand of God. We have to accept it as the will
of God.
“I condole with the
members of the deceased’s family and pray God to grants them the fortitude to
bear the loss. We will miss his fatherly advice.”
A National Leader and
chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Gentleman Amegor also said
that Ogbemudia’s exit was a painful loss.
Amegor, who described the
late statesman as his surrogate father, said, ‘’I am consoled with the fact
that the late Ogbemudia lived a good life.
“He was my surrogate
father and I will really miss him dearly. He was everything to his children and
others who were not his biological children.
“We are consoled with
the fact that he represented everything good to humanity,” he said.
Samuel Ogbemudia was
born in Benin City in 1933 and attended Benin Baptist School (1941–1945),
Government school, Victoria in the Cameroons (1945–1947) and later, Western
Boy’s High School, Benin City (1947–1949).
Before his involvement
in politics, with the restoration of democracy in the country in 1999, he had
joined the Nigerian army in 1957 and had his training at Teshie, Ghana as well
as at Netheravon and Salisbury Plain in England (1957).
His military career
also took him to the officer cadet school at Aldershot, England in 1960, and
got commissioned second lieutenant in 1961.
He attended the United
States army special welfare school at Fort Bragg, South Carolina in 1962.
Ogbemudia served with
the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Congo for 16 months in Tanzania in
1964 and was appointed an instructor to the Nigerian Military School, Zaria the
same year.
Ogbemudia was appointed
Military administrator of the defunct Mid-West State in September, 1967 and
promoted to Lt. Colonel on Oct. 26,1967.
Ogbemudia initiated
programmes urban development, education, public transportation, housing and
commerce and built the Ogbe sports stadium, now Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium,
Benin.
His military
administration was also credited with the establishment of the University of
Benin, among others.
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