(The Third Enogie of Oghada) -A blend of Royalty and Excellence

By Josef Omorotionmwan
THE people of Oghada Community in Isi Clan, Uhunmwode Local Governent Area of Edo State have every reason to count themselves blessed. While other people may yet be looking for an example of a perfect blend of royalty and excellence, the perfect example is located at the very heart of Oghada Community.

He is Prince Enweansefe Iyiewuaefo-Eweka, the third Enogie of Oghada.

Kwame Nkrummah (1909-1972) showed by happy illustration that the best pointer to where you are going is an introspect into where you are coming from. That underscores the need to look at the humble beginning of our subject for today.

Prince Iyiewuaefo-Eweka was born in London on November 4, 1962 into the royal and aristocratic family of the Iyi-Eweka Dynasty of the Benin Kingdom. As it were, he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth but he did not allow himself to be carried away by the circumstances of his birth. This is one way of appreciating the fact that he has spent a good part of his life for self-development through education and management training.

He had his early education in Benin City, starting with Emotan Preparatory/ Primary School and on completion of his primary education, he went to Eghosa Grammar School and later moved to Saint John Bosco College, Ubiaja, where he completed his secondary education in flying colours. He proceeded from there to the prestigious Edo College for his Higher School Certificate, HSC.

In his determination to build up the necessary robustness relevant to the machinery and process of service to humanity, he soon transcended the narrow confines of a secondary education when he travelled to the United Kingdom where he acquired extensive and intensive academic qualifications as well as numerous professional and management courses.

In the UK, he attended South London College, where he read and completed his advance level course, after which he went on to read Sociology with Professional Studies at East London University where he graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in 1991. After his Bachelor’s degree, he went on to study for a Master’s in Communications Policy at the City University, London and graduated with an MA degree in 1993.

He began his career as a Social/Market Researcher with the Harris Research Centre and later went on to work as a Research Assistant with the Independent Broadcasting Authority in 1994.

Between 1996 and 2002, he held positions in Inforcorp UK Limited as a Data/Computer Analyst. Between 1999 and 2002, he was the Media Operations Data Manager. He later joined Datamonitor Plc as a Senior Research Manager.  He was Senior Analyst/Project Manager with Gartner Group UK limited between 2002 and 2006 and later joined Ebiquity PLC as a Senior Data Manager in 2009.

To date, he is a co-director at a digital marketing/Internet Consulting Company – Vortex Communication Bureau Limited. He also undertakes contract work with past employers on a project by project basis on all direct marketing and database development projects. This involves helping with the development of their data/database solutions. All these bespeak him as perhaps the only rolling stone that has gathered lots of moss.

His technical skills are mainly in the application of technology in the management of customer/company data for Business Intelligence, BI, which can also be referred to in some quarters as Customer Relationship Management, CRM.

His hobbies include reading fictional and real life crime stories – an avid Alfred Hitchcock fan. He also enjoys watching sports and documentary programmes on television. Other pastimes include travelling and listening to classical/jazz music.

He is married with two children – a girl and a boy.

This now moves us to the third phase in the life of this great man.

While this amalgam of royalty and excellence was away from home, he kept a close contact with the people at home. He is now permanently back home. He is the new Enogie of Oghada in Isi Clan, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria.

As we welcome him home, it is instructive that his grand merit is his burning desire to stay with his people at the grassroots. Hear him: “I am not going to be an absentee Enogie. I will live with my people. That’s the only way I can feel their pains and enjoy their gains”.

Today, the Oghada Community welcomes him home and we honour him for his sterling qualities, his spectacular achievements and his shining examples for all those who aspire to leadership positions.

Today, this Column presents a most perfect manifestation of humility, impervious tenacity in the service of humanity and hope for a sustainable future in Edo State and, indeed, in Nigeria. We present to you, a man destined to make history, yet, whose humility belies the robustness of his attainment in life; one man who has a vision and a mission to work with other patriotic Nigerians for the fulfillment of the Nigeria Dream. We present to you, one man who deserves to be honoured, if only to prove the point that a prophet can, indeed, be honoured in his home.

We present to you, Prince Enwaensefe Iyiewuaefo-Eweka, a Digital Duke of the Great Oghada Dukedom, an administrator extra ordinaire, a strategist, a tactician, an adept in computer engineering and information technology, an exponent of human kindness, one man who renders service to humanity without counting the cost.

Our highly revered Prince, on this auspicious occasion of your installation as the third Enogie of Oghada, we congratulate you most heartily.

Oba gha t’ okpere …. Ise