By Raymond Nkannebe
Last Friday, at the Benin Vault and Gardens, Edo State, grief came to town, as the remains of my friend and brother, Ogaga John Emoghwanre was finally committed to mother earth.
On Wednesday, 10th August 2022, the legal community in Nigeria and beyond, received the shocking news of the passing of Ogaga after a brief illness. A Bar Man in his own right, Ogaga was in active service of the NBA as the compere at an event organised by the MacArthur Foundation on the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. He was said to have slumped during the event and was rushed to Westend hospital Warri, Delta State where he would breathe his last from respiratory complications.
For those of us close to Ogags, as he is fondly called, until his committal to mother earth last Friday, it was difficult to come to terms with the reality of his passing. How does one even begin to deal with the enigma that is death? It strikes arbitrarily and randomly with impunity. The agency of death is without rhyme or reason. When, as in this case, we are helplessly confounded, we give up on rationality. We implicate the creator. But how can the one who created responsibly kill at the dawn of existence? At 42, a whole lifetime was ahead of Ogaga. Death is cruel! It is not supposed to be like this. It is not rational that the one at the back of the line is the first to be taken away. It is unfair that a parent must mourn a child. But such is the fate of Ogaga’s parents who last week, had the unenviable task of burying their own fruit, trapped in grief.
The sad news had been mooted in a Whatsapp group of close associates on that fateful day. But it couldn’t be, I thought to myself! Only few days ago, I had reached out to Ogaga for the phone number of the Chairman of an NBA Branch where I needed an intervention. Of course, he had graciously obliged. Ogaga was the Special Assistant to the immediate former NBA President, Olumide Akpata on Branch Coordination; an office that meant he was always in close contact with the subnational leaders of the Association.
Agitated, I had quickly reached out to a mutual friend of the Benin Bar, whom I imagined should be in the know of the actual state of things involving our friend. Lo! and behold, my fears were confirmed. Ogaga had passed on, in circumstances that validates the old saying that ill news runs a pace. Holy Moses!
I met Ogaga for the first time in September 2020. It was in the early days of the Olumide Akpata Administration. I had been invited to a strategy meeting at Templars with other key members of the Olumide Akpata campaign team. It was such an important meeting, that with the benefit of hindsight, I should say, set out the template of what would become the resounding success of the Olumide Akpata Administration. As you might have guessed, Ogaga was present at the meeting. Unbeknownst to me, he had been taken in by some of my interventions during the campaigns, and was so happy to meet me in person at last. Naturally, our friendship happened and blossomed from that moment.
In the two years of the Olumide Akpata presidency, I had reason to interact with Ogaga on multiple fronts in the course of the numerous assignments we undertook for the president. I would come to learn that unlike myself, he was a Bar Man to the core. At the time of our meeting, he was serving as the Publicity Secretary of the Benin Branch of the NBA. He had been a member of NEC, the policy organ of the NBA under the Paul Usoro SAN Administration, and would be Co-opted as a member of the Body again, under the Akpata Administration.
For whatever reason, I observed he had a good regard for me, and never stopped to introduce me to his numerous friends and associates as a good writer, at any social gathering. And we had many of them! He courted my opinion on several occasions on issues affecting the Bar, and the country at large, and always ensured we met, whenever he was in Lagos.
A vivacious and bubbly fellow, Ogaga was the life of the party. He could not help it. Not with his infectious energy and characteristic swagger. Resplendent ties, colourful three-piece suits, panama hats, a signature goatee; Ogaga was unmissable in any gathering. I consider it a shame on my part that all through our numerous meetings, I took it for granted to pose for a photo with him; at least to document the times we shared. I had always thought other opportunities would present themselves, but here we are, overwhelmed by the transiency of life and the importance of taking each day, as our last.
Ogaga was not only a friend in need, he was also a friend indeed! At the 61st Annual General Conference of the NBA in Port Harcourt, it was Ogaga who organised a taxi that took me from the Port Harcourt International Airport to my hotel room, and followed up with multiple calls to ensure that my trip was smooth. Again, during the traditional wedding of the then NBA President, Olumide Akpata, in Edo State, Ogaga proved an excellent host, in spite of his heavy involvement with the local logistics of the historic wedding. In a sense, I should say that his attitude and disposition to people was devoid of class and status. He had such a large heart and was available at the service of many people at the same time, little wonder the large friendship and acquaintances he mustered over the course of his young career across all the echelons of society.
When Ogaga made up his mind to run for the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, I was among the first group of friends he had informed of this bid, and solicited my support. Of course, it was the least I could do. All through the stages of the campaign, we worked very hard on his candidacy. I had personally reviewed and re-drafted his draft-manifesto closely with him, complete with the theme of his publicity agenda, during which time I came to know of his stint in the media. I was also among the pool of friends who created content for his campaigns. When he faced multiple petitions challenging his eligibility for the office, I worked closely with him in responding to the petitions and our joy knew no bounds when he was finally given a clean bill of health to run for the office by the electoral body.
As it pleased God, Ogaga would not emerge as the winner of the election, losing to his challenger, Akorede Habeeb Lawal, but not without amassing over 15,000 votes in the race in a tribute to his popularity amongst the legal community in Nigeria. But even in defeat, Ogaga proved to be a gentleman to the core. He did not sulk over the circumstances of his loss. Instead, he quickly congratulated the winner in an act of sportsmanship that adds to the full complement of his character.
“I thank my co-contestant, the Publicity Secretary-Elect, Mr. Akorede Habeeb Lawal, the contest brought out the best in us. Indeed, the beauty of an election is in the contest. There’s always a winner in any Monkey’s beauty contest. I congratulate you most profusely and like I noted in my personal message to you, I am of the belief that with your prowess and ingenuity, the core tenets of my hopes for the NBA Publicity would still be realised. Congratulations my dear brother“, he wrote in the public statement he issued after the recently concluded NBA election.
When I read the statement in the blogs, I had sent him a message, writing, “congratulations Boss. You gave it your best shot. I’ve just read your message to Habeeb. That’s the spirit. Better days ahead and rest assured of my support always“. “Thanks, Ray. I appreciate. You have been a big pillar of support. God bless you“, he replied.
I was looking forward to meeting Ogaga at the just concluded NBA Conference to further review the outcome of the election with him, and to gauge his plans for the future knowing the sort of passion he brought to NBA-affairs. Alas, that was not to be! Exactly nine days to the conference, he left us with no inkling leaving behind a young wife and three children and the beautiful memories of his short, yet impactful years.
Ogaga may not have won the election into the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA; a position you could tell he was passionate about, with the energy he brought to the contest, but unbeknownst to him, he had sealed his legacy in the annals of the NBA. As Secretary of the NBA Welfare Committee under the Akpata Administration, Ogaga was instrumental in the actualisation of the numerous welfare program of that Administration, notably, the NBA-NHIS scheme under which Nigerian lawyers can assess annual healthcare and telemedicine at a discounted rate of 15,000. Many lawyers who would enjoy that service would be doing so on the back of the efforts of a young and restless Bar Man motivated by the greatest good of the greatest numbers like a student of the great English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. And whilst he aimed for higher service of the Bar, it did not occur to him that it was in the simplest things that he distinguished himself and earned his stripes. Indeed, there is no better evidence of this, than the outpour of condolences that greeted his death and the gathering at his funeral.
Ogaga’s death is certainly a very painful one to take, like those of any youth. Yet, the circumstance of his life proves yet again that the fullness of life is not in how long it was lived, but how well. As though he knew he would leave us quite soon, Ogaga worked so hard to establish himself in his personal and public life in record time like many influential people in history: Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, Lucky Dube, Elvis Paisley, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, etc.
Surely, if it is a crime to go through life without being noticed, then the jury must return a verdict of acquittal for this excellent Bar Man whose sun set at dawn.
Adieu Ogags, till we meet to part no more.
Raymond Nkannebe is of the Lagos Bar.