UNDER the usually bright afternoon sky and the luscious green mountainous milieu of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), members of the Abuja branch of EDE-MA Development Association and their guests, in resplendent sartorial splendour, gathered to celebrate the towering achievements of some distinguished members in a fashionable Civic Reception.
EDE-MA, a decades-old umbrella socio-cultural organisation peopled by sons and daughters of Edemoga, a people genealogically linked and about the largest single district not only in Okpokwu LGA but arguably in Idoma land and Benue State at large, had last year resolved to hold a Civic Reception to celebrate the appointment of Ambassador Nicholas Agbo Ella as Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
After setting up a planning Committee and all seemed to be set for the event to hold, the unseen hands of providence would not permit it to hold with a series of unforeseen circumstances until this year. In between the months from April 2024 and June 2025, the configuration of the event was to change when a number of EDE-MA members and an Edemoga-born personality who had attained the peak in their respective careers were identified and added to the list of eminent personalities to be celebrated.
The occasion, which eventually held on the evening of Saturday, June 14, 2025, was nothing but a symphony of pride, as attested to by EDE-MA elders, members and guests alike. The significance and success of the event could be measured not just by the sheer crowd and gravitas of personalities in attendance, but even more so in the guests who broke barriers of distance, against the backdrop of the economic impediments, to grace the event. These guests include, His Royal Highness, Chief Ochechema Emmanuel Ojoh, the 3rd Class Traditional Head of Edumoga District and one of his clan heads; Chief Leonard Adejoh, the Ad’Idoma in the Plateau and Chairman of the Council of Ad’Idomas in Nigeria; the Chairman of Okpokwu LGA of Benue State, Hon. Inalegwu Adah, the National President of EDE-MA, Mr Michael Oko Agbam and National Treasurer, Mr Agboji, and Hon. Olofu Ogwuche, former Chairman of Okokwu LGA, to mention a few.
The venue of the event at the Candellux Imperial Hotel in Abuja, brimmed not only with the crème de la crème of Edumoga and Idoma nationalities but even more so with the diversity that perfectly reflect Nigeria – bore witness to an event that transcended mere ceremony; it was a testament to the enduring spirit of communality.
It is in the context of the communal symbolism that Dr (Barr.) Simon Okpeh Alleh, in his welcome address as the Chairperson of the Abuja branch of EDE-MA, kicked the ball rolling when he reflected on what could best be described as the Association’s legacy of vigilance and unity in the wake of pronounced insecurity marked by cultism and other forms of criminality in Edemoga homeland.
Alleh, while pontificating on the personae of the honourees, dwelt on the association’s exceptional communal solidarity that enabled Edemoga society to triumph over cultism and crime – a model he urged other communities to emulate to enforce law and order.
Honourable Idoko, former House of Representatives member, representing Ado-Okpokwu-Ogbadibo federal constituency, who presided over the Civic Reception, also echoed this sentiment, calling for a united front in the pursuit of economic prosperity. He said as one of the founding members of EDE-MA, and in whose sitting room EDE-MA was moulded, the question of unity and sense of common purpose to advance the socio-economic well-being of the district was core.
Everyone who spoke, including in the breaking of kola nuts, which essentially fell under the purview of Chief Ochechema Ojo, who in his prayers dwelt on the symphony of communal harmony in fertilising development.
But the icing on the cake on the theme of collectivism was the keynote address by Chief Peter Okpe, who hails not from Edumoga but Orokam in neighbouring Ogbadibo LGA.
Beyond the eloquence and intellectual accuracy of his delivery, Chief Okpe, represented by Dr Steve Okwori, did justice to the topic of his presentation, “The Complementary Roles of Socio-Cultural Organizations in Community Development” whose major praxis illustrates collectivism and altruism in community development, just as it is the task of individuals in any setting they found themselves irrespective of where one hailed from.
Okpe stirred the soul of the audience calling them to hearken to community activism and drawing parallels between EDE-MA and other socio-cultural organisations – Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo. He exhorted EDE-MA to rise as the socio-economic vanguard of not just Edemoga land but the entire Idoma nation.
“Let us rally behind these associations with our resources and our resolve. Let us guide our youth to take up the mantle of leadership. Let us forge unbreakable bonds between local governments and community organizations. For the destiny of our people is not written in Abuja or Makurdi – it is inscribed in the soil of Ojigo, Okonobo, Ugbokolo, and every hamlet where our culture breathes and our future takes root,” Okpe declared, ending his discourse with a timeless Idoma proverb: “Oche kwu le ogwu” (“a united stool does not fall”), which resonated with the mood in the packed hall.
As the event drew to a close, the air thrummed with a renewed sense of purpose, as the drums heralding the popular war dance in Edemoga, Oglinya, spiced the reception and thrilling the audience, which was also hosted to a lavish banquet.
The honourees, each a star in their own right, stood not as solitary beacons but as constellations in a shared galaxy of progress. Their stories, interwoven with sacrifice and service, serve as both inspiration and blueprint – a reminder that the path to greatness is paved with unity, diligence, and an unyielding love for community.
Thus, under the Abuja sky, EDE-MA did not merely celebrate its sons – it celebrated the undying spirit of a people destined for greatness if they are able to join hands towards a common purpose.
A Tapestry of Honour
Like everyone else, the honourees; the paragons of service being celebrated for straddling the realms of national and communal services, as well as career accomplishments – military valour, diplomacy, bureaucracy and scholarship – were similarly enthralled.
At the climax of the event when their citations were being read, the honourees, who rose, like colossuses, when they were, one after the other, called to receive the plaques of honour, the hall became quiet and a pin drop could be heard amidst deserved intermittent ovations.
Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Stephen Onuh (Rtd.) – a winged sentinel of the skies; was hailed for a military career that soared as high as the aircraft he piloted.
With over 6,800 flight hours etched into his logbook, AVM Onuh’s journey from a fledgling pilot in 1982 to a decorated officer in the Presidential Air Fleet was nothing short of legendary.
His chest gleamed with honours – the Distinguished Service Star, the Meritorious Service Star, and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the hallowed halls of the University of Ibadan – each a testament to his unwavering dedication to nation and community.
For Ambassador Nicholas Agbo Ella – a diplomat of rare finesse – was celebrated for his masterful stewardship as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Amb. Ella’s deft negotiations secured Nigeria the prestigious hosting rights for the $5 billion Africa Energy Bank headquarters in Abuja, a feat of monumental significance he accomplished with very limited time just days after his appointment as Permanent Secretary.
His earlier triumphs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he brokered a landmark five-year visa agreement with the United States and spearheaded critical migration accords with Europe, further cemented his legacy as a statesman of global stature.
Professor Paul Onuh – a jurist of profound intellect – stood as a titan in the realm of legal scholarship.
Prof. Onuh’s erudition in International Economic Law, Maritime Law, and Arbitration has illuminated courtrooms and classrooms alike, shaping minds and policies across continents.
For 24 unbroken years, he has nurtured future legal luminaries at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, while his arbitration prowess has resolved disputes of the highest stakes.
Chief Emmanuel Odo, PhD, JP – a legislative mandarin, was lauded for his indelible imprint on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution.
Rising from Planning Officer II to Deputy Clerk of the Nigerian Senate, Chief Odo’s strategic oversight of pivotal committees – from Gas to Primary Healthcare – has fortified the legislative backbone of the nation.
Odo’s mentorship of younger bureaucrats ensures that his wisdom will echo through the halls of the National Assembly for generations.
Professor Emmanuel Ejeikwu – a sage of the sciences – was exalted for his scholarly eminence in Botany and Biodiversity.
With over 80 publications and 20,000 citations, Prof. Ejeikwu’s academic footprint spans the globe.
As Director of the School of Advanced Basic and Remedial Studies at the Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), Prof. Ejeikwu has opened doors of opportunity for countless Edumoga youths, ensuring that the seeds of knowledge bear fruit for generations unborn.
Barr. Cletus Ojabo – a paragon of parliamentary excellence – was celebrated not only for his procedural mastery as Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives but also for his transformative impact on grassroots development.
From rural electrification to borehole projects, Barr. Ajabo’s initiatives have brought light and life to countless communities in Edemoga homeland and beyond, embodying the very essence of servant leadership.
Though the event may have come and gone, its echoes and positive impact will endure.
