Footprints of the Sons and Daughters of Ogbona – 2025
Footprints of the Sons and Daughters of Ogbona – 2025 Note: This list is not exhaustive and aims to document the contributions of Ogbona’s sons and daughters; it requires further updates as more information emerges. 1.First Secondary School Graduate: Mr. Anthony Bartholomew Chiata Anaweokhai, popularly known as Mr. ABC, graduated from Africa College, Onitsha, in 1949. He was born on April 4, 1929, to the Catholic family of Cletus Anaweokhai. ABC attended African College Onitsha for his secondary education and completed it in 1949. He then secured a job as an accountant with Leventis Stores in Port Harcourt. ABC Anaweokhai was known for his honesty and prioritized integrity above all else. He was an active member of the Ogbona Meeting at all the places he worked and played a crucial role in uniting the then-divided Ogbona Meeting in Kaduna during the late 1970s. 2.First Catholic Reverend Father: Rev. Father Dominic Azagbor holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy, along with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He professed his vows to the Order in 1988 and served in various capacities at parishes in Nigeria and Ghana before his ordination as a priest in April 2000. From 2002 to 2005, he served as assistant chaplain at the University of Ife in the Diocese of Oshogbo, Nigeria. Subsequently, he was the associate pastor at St. Jude Catholic Church in Mafoluku under the Archdiocese of Lagos from 2005 to 2009. In 2010, Fr. Azagbor moved to the United States and was assigned as chaplain at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and is currently based in Maine. 3.First Pentecostal Bishop: Bishop Anthony Anyiador is the first ordained bishop from the Ogbona community. He pastored many churches in Benin City, Lagos, and other parts of Nigeria. On November 10, 2001, he was consecrated as a Bishop of the Church of God Mission by Archbishop Benson Idahosa. He is now the presiding bishop of Kingdom Connection Ministries, a network of churches in Nigeria with headquarters in Abuja. 4.First College/University Graduate: Chief T.A. Osigbemhe enrolled at the University of Ibadan from September 1957 to June 1960. 5.First Geologist: Gilbert Erelumhe Odior holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Geology from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He is an accomplished geologist with over 34 years of experience in finding, developing, and producing hydrocarbons in the offshore Nigerian basin and the Gulf of Mexico. He has served as the past president and fellow of the Nigeria Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). He was also the past president of AAPG-Africa Region from 2012 to 2014 and is a certified professional geologist recognized by COMEG and AAPG, actively participating in local organizations and social clubs. 6.First Major Politician from Ogbona: Chief M.C.K. Orbih was elected in 1954 as one of the pioneer councilors of the Etsako District Council, representing the first democratically elected local government prior to Nigeria’s independence in 1960. He served as a member of the Western Region Advisory Board on Education during the self-government period from 1956 to 1959, leading to the end of colonial administration. Chief Orbih later became one of the pioneer legislators in newly independent Nigeria when he was elected to represent Afenmai East in the Federal House of Representatives from December 12, 1959, to December 12, 1964. 7.First State Commissioner from Ogbona: George Enetomeh Uwaya was appointed Commissioner for Education in Edo State from 1994 to 1996, and then served as Commissioner for Special Duties from 1996 to 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Benin. Throughout his career, Uwaya was appointed as an Education Officer in the Ministry of Education in North Western State (1971-1975), Head of the Geography Department at the College of Education in Minna (1976-1991), Examiner for the West African Examination Council in 1986, Dean of the School of Art and Social Science (1991), and Chairman of the Committee of Deans at the College of Education (1991). George Enetomeh Uwaya passed away on January 30, 1999, leaving behind his wife and six children. 8.First Commissioned Regular Combatant Officer (Military): Major Francis Aigbona Atsegwasi (Rtd) was the first military officer from Ogbona to obtain a commission from the Nigerian Defense Academy, which was then the highest military institution in Nigeria. He served as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Etsako Central Local Government Area from 2002 to 2003. 9.First Permanent Secretary, Director, or Head of a Government Parastatal: Chief T.A. Osigbemhe, known as “Flames,” served as the Principal of Edo College and as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education in Bendel State from March 1973 to September 1977. At Edo College, he was instrumental in reviving discipline among staff and students and managing high standards within the institution. 10.Dr. Besiru Idode serves as the Director General in the Public Service of the now Edo and Delta states, formerly known as Bendel State. He has held positions as the Director General of the Ministry of Budget and Planning and at the Directorate for Food, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI). Additionally, he has acted as the Sole Administrator of the Ika Local Government Authority in Agbor. 11.First Lawyer: Barrister Christopher Ekhasemomhe. Barrister Christopher Ekhasemomhe gained admission to the then Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, in 1970, where he studied law and graduated in 1973. He attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in June 1974. He completed his mandatory National Youth Service Corps program in the old Benue Plateau State from 1974 to 1975. He began his legal career in Kaduna State under Dr. F. Oguntoye’s Chambers from 1975 until December 1977 and then worked at Aluko Olokun Chambers from 1978 to June 1979.
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