By Vera E. Abah
IT WAS one accolade after the other inside the fully packed OSGF Conference Room, Phase 1 of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja when the Federal Ministry of Labour hosted a pull-out or farewell ceremony for one of its Deputy Directors (DD), Amb. Stephen Ejembi Ola.
Apart from serving as a celebration of his retirement, the event, held on Monday, September 15, 2025, also marked Amb. Ola’s 60th birthday
Attended by the Minister of Labour in representative capacity by the Director, Human Resources Management, Mrs Catherine Tono, several Directors, Deputy and Assistant Directors, the rank and file staff members of the Ministry, family members, friends, and representatives of the Catholic faithful of St. Josephine Bhakita’s Catholic Parish, Jikwoyi, amongst many others; everyone who had the opportunity to speak gave eloquent account of the dynamic persona of Amb. Ola, who headed the ICT Unit in the Policy Analysis, Research and Statistics (PARS) until his retirement.
For Alhaji Murtala Tanko, the Ministry’s Director of the Department of Policy Analysis, Research and Statistics (PARS), in his brief welcome address, said the gathering was designed to “celebrate the remarkable life of dedicated service of Hon. Amb Stephen Ejembi Ola”.
While inviting “our guests, colleagues and friends to join us in celebrating with our own Amb. Ola,” Alhaji Tanko described him as a mentor to many people while in service.
He wished Ola good health, happiness and a joyful retirement, saying: “We express our deepest gratitude to the celebrant for his years in service, his mentorship… Amb. Ola, may your retirement be filled with joy, relaxation and practice of your passion.”
Many who spoke – junior and senior colleagues in the ministry – admitted that while there was so much to say about Ola, there was however not enough time.
For Mrs Catherine Tono, Director Human Resource Management, the few months she had worked closely with Ola in one assignment, he manifested that he is a wonderful man. She also spoke to Ola’s “wealth of experience”, admitting being privileged to know him as she wished him all the best in retirement.
According to Mrs Atim Isong, Assistant Director, ICT and the Organising Committee chairperson, who read Ola’s citation, Ola is a dynamic man – being a traditionalist, an epitome of service, a religious man and a Knight of St. Mulumba, a philanthropist, a community development buff and a peace ambassador.
“Amb. Ola Ejembi counts variables where others count numbers; he recalibrates where others react; and he selects people, places, plans where others sleep,” Mrs Isong stated.
For the Head of M&E Division, Mr Olmitan Olatunji, greater achievements lie ahead for Ola. “I know, I have been telling you before; greater achievements lie ahead of you. What you could not have achieved or achieve all your years in service, are waiting for you to achieve very soon,” Mr Olatunji stated with some element of clairvoyance.
He concluded that Ola’s capacity to be calm in the face of adversity, his ability to also fight as well as fluid team spirit that made him work with every staff stands him out as a dependable pillar.
Offering an insight on Ola as a family man, Ola’s first child, Mrs Suzan Ola-Attah, in an eloquent elocution said, “The man we’re celebrating today happens to be my dad. He is a very special person, I must say. This is because growing up I saw a resilient man; I saw a man who despite all odds, because I will say he was not born with a silver spoon; wooden or no spoon at all, but he didn’t allow anything to hold him back, yes,” Mrs Ola-Attah said of her father.
She stressed that from her father’s narratives to them as kids, going to secondary school was a big challenge against the broad notion within the rural setup that after primary education, it was a big hurdle to cross to proceed to secondary school but to either marry or do anything else.
“So, I learnt a lot from him, that is why I am so emotional today because seeing him at this height, it can only be God. He has also trained us to be just that kind of resilient individuals, yes! Even when we were growing up, when he didn’t have a job, his priority had always been our education, he never joked with our education for one day, even though he would sleep with an empty stomach, he would make sure that his children went to school; and not just us his children but everybody around him – he puts people first before himself – that’s the kind of person he is. So, he is worth celebrating, I call him my legend, I call him… in fact, he is the best daddy in the whole world,” Ola-Attah narrated to applause from the packed hall.
Rev. Fr. (Dr) Akpan, the Parish Priest of St Josephine Bhakita Catholic Church, Jikwoyi, confessed to knowing and admiring “Bro. Steve,” as he claims he had chosen to fondly call the celebrant, since 2005 when he first knew Ola at the same Parish, then called St. Kevin’s Parish.
He said his admiration for Ola came about from his very calm and resourceful disposition; adding that he also cares for people in need.
According to Fr. Akpan, upon returning to the Parish twenty years later, Ola remained the same with his characteristic generosity. “Your problem is his problem,” Fr. Akpan stressed, noting that for this reason, he appointed him to be the first vice-chairperson of the Parish’s Pastoral Council, second only to the Reverend Father.
For Fr. Akpan, Bro. Steve is full of wisdom, as he also attested to Ola’s philanthropic spirit even though he doesn’t advertise this positive trait. “Bro. Steve is a generous man, he is a man that can be relied on; when you come to him, you know your problem is half solved. That is why when he told me of today, I said no matter what, I will try to shelve many of the activities I have today to honour a man that deserves to be honoured,” Fr Akpan testified.
Others who spoke included Mr Ameh Achanya, who had retired a few years back, and spoke glowingly of Ola; Mr Moses Eguma, who not only praised Ola but even more his wife for their generosity towards him and others while studying at ABU, Zaria; and Prof Christy Ekoja, who testified to Ola’s humanism, his religious disposition, philanthropy and the agency for societal development.
Apart from the cascade of eulogies, the persistent wits from the Master of Ceremony, Mr Charles Ogiri Musa, a staff of the ministry, made the event more enchanting and seemingly short for the slightly over two hours that it lasted.
On the sideline of the ceremony, Ola told National Record that he would be celebrating his retirement with a Thanksgiving Mass at the St. Josephine Bhakita’s Parish on Sunday, September 21. The Thanksgiving, he said, will be followed by a modest reception thereafter.
Ola also stated that his retirement is blessed as it coincides with the induction as a medical doctor on Thursday, September 18 one of his daughters at the Benue State University, Makurdi, now known as Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM).
