Edo 2024: Umakhihe, the Incurable Optimist

Segun James writes on the antecedent of the former permanent secretary in the federal civil service, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, who is gunning for the 2024 governorship seat in Edo state.

The clearest sign yet of the recovery of new vitality in the race for the governorship seat in Edo State after eight years of Governor Godwin Obaseki is the large number of aspirants vieing for the gubernatorial ticket of the three major political parties.

While the number in the All Progressives Congress (APC) is 26, in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is 16, while Labour Party (LP) can boast of 28 aspirants.

Ahead of the governorship primary that will determine who the APC candidate will be, the party’s leadership this week constituted a screening panel to prune down the number of aspirants to a manageable number.

The battle as to who will lead the party to an election which is going to determine the future direction of the state has resumed in earnest.

For those who are following the polity closely, a changing nation means a changing political landscape, a changing political landscape requires a changing political leadership.

Therefore, the battle as to who is qualified and capable to lead the party towards the 2024 general election after the tenure of Obaseki has become crucial.

For some palpable reasons, the battle for the APC ticket is not just of ambition but that of the need to take the state to the next level. That’s where Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe  comes in.

Under a scorching sun at the main bowl of Afuze Mini Stadium in Afuze, headquarter of Owan East Local Government Area, he officially flagged off his campaign for the APC governorship ticket.

The carnival-like event attracted people from all walks of life: diplomats, bureaucrats, civil servants, the Nigerian Labour movement, members of the Civil Society, politicians from major political parties and traditional rulers.

Umakhihe was a bureaucrat, accountant, a former civil servant and core professional.  He rose to the pinnacle of his career in the Nigerian public service, the largest in Africa through a dint of hard work, tenacity, commitment, productivity and resourcefulness worthy of emulation. 

In a country full of great ambitions, in Edo State, Umakhihe is a role model to those who dare to dream. He believes that anyone can rise to the top even from an humble beginning. He epitomises what may be described as the Nigerian dream.

In a country full of great ambitions and damning frustrations, Umakhihe embodies the best in social engineering in the country, following his rise to the top of the public service hierarchy in the country.

He has an abiding faith that Nigeria could be better. That’s the faith that has brought him to politics since he left public service. He is also a firm believer in the ability of the Edo man to be the change agent that the Niger Delta region needs.

Umakhihe however, insists that government must provide the enabling environment for the people to take up the peculiar challenges facing the state.

According to him, ordinarily, government would love its citizens to build-up their own businesses so that they would be less dependent on the state. The inability of government to achieve this has been the bane of development of the state. He believes that given the peculiar nature of  Edo State, government should be the catalyst for growth in the Niger Delta region.

Since indicating his desire to contest the governorship seat, Umakhihe has insisted that someone must be the change that the people need. He believes that he can be that change. A patriotic and disciplined gentleman, he is committed to success and devoted to fruitful service to Edo, the nation and to humanity.

Umakhihe possesses a zeal that drives him to succeed where others are scared. His life has been crowned with many achievements. Indeed, in Edo State, he has been an inspiration to many.

Umakhihe was born on 5th April, 1964 at Iyeu Quarters, Otuo, Owan-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. He is from a humble and disciplined family that instilled into the young Ernest profound values of honesty, integrity, resilience and hard work. He was brought up in Otuo, Afuze and Igarra of Edo State, where he had his elementary education.  He had his Secondary Education at the Holy Trinity Grammar School at Sabon-Gida Ora and Edo College, Benin-City, Edo State, for his WASCE O level.

The quintessential Civil Servant  is a product of the prestigious University of Benin, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria; where he obtained B.Sc. Accounting [Second Class, Upper Division}; Master of Business Administration (MBA). He obtained his Ph.D in Security and Strategic Studies from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Professionally, he is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management; Chartered Institute of Administration of Nigeria; Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria;  Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; Institute of Business Development of Nigeria;  African Institute by the African Institute of Public Administration, Institution of Agricultural Engineers (Honorary Fellow); Chartered Institute of Directors(Member).

Umakhihe is a recipient of the National Award of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

He has attended several trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences and retreats both within and outside the shores of Nigeria including the Train the Trainer’s programme in International Public Sector Accounting Standards(IPSAS) by JK International in Dubai; United Arab Emirates(UAE); Certificate in Professional Development at the Corporate Coach Group, London;  A Course on “Strategic Re-imagining and Business Development” at Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A; 

He has also been awarded: The Honourary Doctor of Science (DSc(Honorius Causas) by the Federal University, Lokoja, Nigeria. Umakhihe’s duty tour in the Nigerian Public Service started with the Nigerian Institute of Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) between 1989 – 2011, where he rose to the position of Director, Finance & Accounts; He subsequently moved to the Office of the Accountant – General of the Federation as Deputy Director(Audit Monitoring Department); Served at the National Sports Commission as Director, Finance & Accounts; Served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director, Finance & Accounts with Supervisory role of the Finance and Accounts of the Headquarters and 112 Foreign Missions as at then (2015 – 2017); and served at the Ministry of Defence as Director, Finance & Accounts; He was appointed a Federal Permanent Secretary on 1st December, 2018.

Umakhihe’s penchant for Development, Community and Social Services has earned him several awards. In the Agricultural Sector and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, he has received numerous awards, amongst which are: Champion of the Seed Sector for his insistence on Adherence to good ethical practice in the Development of the Seed Sector by the National Seed Council (NASC) of Nigeria; The Feed Industry Practitioners’ of Agriculture of Nigeria (FIPAN) award for his ‘Laudable contributions to the Livestock Sub-sector of the Nigerian Agricultural Sector; The National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture & Related Disciplines’ ‘Award of Excellence for Contributions to the Development of Agricultural Sectors & Growth of the Colleges amongst many others.