After their exit from public office, no one has heard anything about them thereby prompting the question of where they could be at the moment; ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
Obafemi Anibaba
Obafemi Anibaba is the former minister of works and was later deployed to communications between 2006 towards the end of that administration’s tenure in 2007. He was, prior to this time, chairman, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. This is besides being on the board of several companies like First Bank of Nigeria, Jos Steel Rolling Company and Allied Bank of Nigeria as well as chairman, governing council of Lagos Polytechnic, Isolo. It was under him as communications minister that the corporate headquarter of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) was commissioned by former President Obasanjo in 2006.
After he left office, he nearly ran into trouble over a Senate ad-hoc committee report led by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri in which he and others were recommended for prosecution over sundry allegations bothering on road contracting over a period of 10 years and award of contracts without budgetary provision and failure to account for profits from a large sale of bitumen. What however saved him was that the Senate discussion of the report was delayed for debate before the 2011 general election and that was how the matter died. Long after he left office, not much has been heard about him anymore.
Philip Asiodu
Chief Philip Asiodu is a man of many parts. He is a former diplomat, minister and special adviser at different times. Although he is described as someone of the ‘old order’, from all ramifications, he is the father of modern day boardroom gurus. He joined the public service in 1964 and rose to the position of permanent secretary during General Yakubu Gowon’s regime.
As a technocrat, analysts say Chief Asiodu was instrumental to the botched Aburi Accord implementation which eventually led to the avoidable Nigeria Civil War. He was and still is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being one of its founding fathers. He once sought the presidential ticket of the party to contest the 1999 election, but failed. One notable area that this Delta state-born technocrat is, however, noted for is his love for the preservation of the environment. This he achieved largely through the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) which he led as its chairman, board of trustees for years. Based on this, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 during the World Environmental Day celebration gave him an award for his role in the sustenance of the environment.
President Buhari said, “This day reminds us that our world belongs to seven billion others aside from ourselves. And that their habits as people and policies and government determine whether we would treat others fairly. If the environment issues are properly managed, they have the potential to support growth and you have dedicated your time to achieve for this nation. That is why you deserve this award.”
The impact of Chief Asiodu can be felt in many sectors of the economy including as ministers of health, industry, petroleum, energy, mines and power at different times. He has also led government organisations such as the Nigeria Economic Society (NES) and Nigerian Committee of the World Energy Council.
According to the journal of the Nigeria Academy of Engineering, “Chief Asiodu exudes greater knowledge and confidence in playing a high profile leadership role in the implementation of Nigeria’s oil and gas policies beginning with the negotiation for Nigeria’s membership of OPEC in 1971. He was also instrumental to the recruitment of many Nigerian graduates for training in oil technology abroad, the decision to establish LNG plants in 1975, the Warri and Kaduna refineries as well as the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI).”
For some time now, no one has heard anything about this man who is said to be in his 80s.
Ibrahim Ogohi
Available records show that Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi is the first Nigerian former naval officer who attained the rank of full admiral to be appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff CDS (four-star general) which also entitled his official car with the same insignia. Before then, that position was occupied solely by the army until former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, appointed him in that capacity.
This Kogi state-born ex-naval officer enlisted into the Nigeria Navy at the Military School Kaduna in 1962 and passed through all military trainings, attended courses both at home and abroad until he rose to the peak of his profession. Ogohi, according to report, was being prepared for involuntary retirement from the navy during the military era, but providence kept him as one of the most senior military officers who never tasted political office all through the years the military held sway in the country. That was what paid off for him. This is because Obasanjo, on coming to power in 1999, retired all military officers who had tasted any political appointment.
His reason was that he wanted to work with only officers who would be apolitical hence the choice of Ogohi. It was, therefore, a litmus test for him as CDS on how to coordinate the military to show loyalty to the new democratic era in the country.
He did and throughout his stewardship, the military officers and men learnt the rudiment of the military working under a democratic government for the first time after 1983 in total loyalty. Ogohi left office in June 2003 for retirement having completed his mandatory 35 years in service. However, since he pulled out, not much has been heard about him anymore; not even any kind of alliance with a political party as is the case with some of his colleagues.
Information about him is sketchy as he has neither been seen in any public event since 2003 nor made any public comment that could attract the attention of newshounds.
