By Ediri Ejoh

Born on the 19th of December, 1956, and a native of Ewato, Esan South Local Government Area of Edo State. Little did the world know that a man who had been destined by Divinity to shape events of men and affect lives in several tremendous ways had just been born.

Right from his early days, as if he knew that millions of lives and destinies depended on him, Chief (Dr) Leemon Agbonjagwe Ikpea had become restless and self-compelled to go in search of accomplishing his mission in life. Against the wishes of many, including initial protestations from his parents, Leemon Ikpea, departed home and started his journey to greatness in a most turbulent and unfamiliar terrain. Despite the many challenges, he weathered the storm and endured several obstacles with his vision focused on reaching The Promised Land no matter the number of Red Seas he had to cross.

The young Leemon Ikpea many years back suffered the humiliation of being ordered out of his secondary school’s dining hall and his food confiscated because he couldn’t pay his school fees. A shoeless Leemon had to trudge over 50 km back home to give his parents the bad news. It’s something really better imagined than experienced – trekking from Orerokpe to Warri.

Eventually, he had to drop out of school and resigned himself to fate. But that did not kill his deep interest in questing for knowledge. But then, God who discerns the inner man, took a hand. Today, he sits atop a multibillion-naira conglomerate with a private jet to boot.

Truly, doing business in Nigeria can be tough and frustrating but Leemon Ikpea’s main goal was more of reaching out to his people and touching lives with his enormous wealth. He remembered his roots and those he left behind in search of greener pastures. He just knew he could not pretend they still needed him now more than ever. Charity more than profits compelled him to return!

As a man who is embodied with the ointment of compassion, Chief Leemon Ikpea, has tailored all his social and business activities towards helping the youths, women, the vulnerable and the less privileged in our society.

One important dimension of the Ikpea persona is his passion for touching and lifting lives. Better than many, he deeply appreciates what it means to be deprived of basic needs, especially school fees for education. He set up the Agbonjagwe Foundation to take up issues that concern the less privileged, especially as it affects their education.

Not a loud personality, he has also made quiet donations to several educational institutions and social welfare programmes all-round the country. So many who have come in contact with him have had their lives touched positively, whether they are family members, friends, colleagues and the general public.

This would not have been public knowledge if associate friends had not mentioned it. In his own words: “I concluded that since God has blessed me, I needed to be a blessing to others.

My first priority is orphans, children that are passing the same road I took some years ago, because I know what it means when you cannot pay your school fees and when nobody cares for you. Somebody needs to comfort them and I feel that I should be that person. So, I established a foundation in 2012 called Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation.

“As of today, we have 385 students that have passed through us. We are also taking care of widows, old people who do not have people to care for them and they need to eat. So, every month, my foundation gives them an allowance, as we are paying our workers’ salaries. We draw up a scheme for the widows for them to have some trade to enable them to care for themselves and their children.

“We train artisans on welding and electrical works, pipe-fitting and train women in some communities on sewing and hairdressing. We also assist some people with serious ailments like liver and kidney problems, and even cancer. We sent about 15 people to India but we lost one and the others are still alive today.”

With all these, it was not surprising that an appreciative society tracking his humanitarian interventions moved to recognise and fete him.

He was honoured with Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) by Benson Idahosa University; in 2004, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma feted him with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) for what he is doing for humanity.

Also, the latest is the conferment of a Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, from the prestigious University of Benin, last month, November 2024. His very busy schedule could not make it possible for him to be present physically to collect the award certificate. Even then, it was well received by his representatives on his behalf.

Chief Leemon Ikpea is a loving husband, dotting, big and dependable brother to his siblings, compassionate to his staff members and colleagues, loyal and faithful to friends, especially those he had known from childhood. From Ikpea’s life story, the essential truth of Maya Angelou’s insight that, “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within,” cannot be disputed or denied.

Indeed for Ikpea, life has turned full circle for him. From a very humble background today he has not only made good but his life surely reflects one of abundant grace. Speaking on how he has been able to get this far he said, “First and foremost, it has not been an easy journey considering the environment and terrain we operate in. But when you have faith in God and you know what you are doing, the sky will be the limit. As somebody from a humble background, we are not lazy in my family – we worked very hard to cross so many hurdles.”

Talking about working with the intent to be successful, Ikpea is quick to point out that he does not take pride in envy or being jealous of others. “The good thing is that in my family we don’t look at what belongs to somebody else. We concentrate on what belongs to us.”
Combined with lots of prayers, positive things are bound to happen, he said, stressing that without prayers, nothing happens. “So we have that zeal to continue to pray to God to direct us, direct my steps and to show mercy on me,” he stated.

The widows and orphans have also continued to be beneficiaries of his magnanimities through his philanthropic Foundation and also in collaboration with like-minded organizations. An astute believer in the Nigeria’s cause, a tested and trusted businessman with an indisputable record for touching lives, a kingmaker in his own rights, Delta and Edo State and Nigeria in general, are lucky to have such a man as one of ours.

To a highly spiritual man, loving husband and father, astute businessman, consummate billionaire, philanthropist extraordinaire, an uncommon achiever, mighty among men and yet so humble and caring, the Lee Engineering Group of Companies CEO deserves many accolades on his birthday.

On the national front, he had earned two Businessman of the Year awards from top national dailies – The Sun and Vanguard, both coming successively. The Federal Government also recognised his contribution to the industry by conferring him with the OON(Officer of the Order of the Niger) and later the CON (Commander of the Order of the Niger) medals. His contribution to philanthropy, through the Agbonjagwe Foundation, is also well-recorded. Also to his credit are numerous scholarships to indigent students pursuing both professional and non-professional courses, including medicine and engineering.

Men and women of goodwill join their voices to say, Congratulations Dr Leemon Ikpea!