A celebration of life: Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei, 1924

Dedicated to the memory of Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei

LIFE AND TIMES OF HON DOMINIC OKADILI OJEI

Our father, late Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei was born on March 18th 1924 to late Pa Benyeogo Ojei and Mama Lydia Nwanua Ojei, (nee Konwea) in Kassa Village in Plateau state. Papa and his parents were from Issele-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government area of Delta State.

Papa attended Township Primary School, Barkin Ladi between 1932 and 1938, being an only son he was spoilt “oome nwa shinne” His parents made sure he had the best of everything he wanted, he told us that his parents used to refer to him as “azu ngwele” meaning that he didn’t want a younger sibling, so that he could continually get all the attention he wanted from them and that explained Papa’s possessive nature in certain areas.

He gained admission to the renowned Ilesha Grammar School (IGS) in 1939, the year his father made a generous profit from the sales of Irish potatoes which Papa personally sold to the American soldiers. Subsequently Pa Benyeogor who was a farmer had more than enough to sustain the young Dominic’s secondary school education.

While in IGS, our dad told us he made a few visits to Lagos the then wonderland of Nigeria and every child’s dream place to visit. On a particular visit to Lagos, he said he was broke after spending every Pound, Shilling and Pence on him and had to be bailed out by an uncle who gave him money to get back to Ilesha, Funny enough, he said the other students have a way of knowing if your money was exhausted or not, he said if you were transported into the school, it means you are okay financially but if you carried your stuff on your head and walked in, they would conclude that you had spent all the money on you, however, Papa walked in with his stuff on his head so all the students laughed at him.

Another memory that Papa cherished so much was the blind man called Kokoro, a one man band. Papa was a fan of Kokoro, he said that whenever Kokoro was in their school to play, the students would all take to the dancing floor and they could even forget themselves completely…….. sweet old memories.

Papa was a class and school mate to the late Justice Kayode Esho, late Chief E.O Ashamu, Chief Lateef Jakande, Late Prof. Billy Dudley, Chief I. Odogwu, the Ide of Asaba to mention a few. He graduated from IGS in 1944.

Papa was a very jovial man and he associated very well, he maintained his connection with his school mates and most of them turned out highly influential and through same channel, our dad was able to help a lot of family members, friends and those even distant from him to secure admission into top schools, for students as well as secure good jobs for those qualified who desired same. He believed he should help humanity, add value to people’s lives rather than do otherwise.

Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei joined the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power, Mines Division in 1945, Papa worked very well, while in the ministry, always neat and smartly dressed in his brown khaki shorts and white shirt. His conduct was very worthy of emulation as the then Principal Inspector of Mines, he received the late General Adeyinka Adebayo who was then the Governor of Western State and Alhaji Ali Munguno the then Federal Minister of Federal Ministry of Mines & Power, at Oke Bola Ibadan. He retired after 34 years of meritorious service to his fatherland. It is worthy of note that Papa left the Ministry with a clean bill of record.

Thereafter, Papa said he was retired but not tired, so he accepted an offer to work with Strabag Bau AG as their mining Consultant, for a period that spanned about five years. However, as soon as Papa left Strabag, he set up his own mining consultancy called D.O Ojei and Associates with its HQ in Ibadan and some of his cloents were West African Portland Cement, Nigerian Mining Corporation, Igbeti Marble Industry, Dumez, Solel Boneh and Strabag, he ran this business till about four years before his death.

Being a a very jovial fellow, he made friends with all his German colleagues, he was able to speak words like “Guten morgen” “Guten tag”, “Guten Abend”, “Gutten Appetite”, “Wie gehts” etc. he was very much loved at Strabag.

Our late dad, Hon Dominic Okadili Ojei was a lover of sports. Papa exercised daily, he loved to exercise so much as if exercise was going out of fashion. We could remember as youngsters that Papa encouraged us to exercise every day, he used to take us to Liberty stadium to jog or walk and to the Premier Hotel every Sunday before lunch for swimming. Papa also used to play lawn tennis at the Railway Tennis club, Ibadan. He played lawn tennis till his early 70s.

He also loved boiled corn in rainy season. Papa was a lover of good food and his house snowed for quality food all day. His house was a place you went to and found good food at any time. He was equally blessed with a good wife who satisfied his wishes to entertain every guest that visited his home. His meal was never late to get to the table. As a field man, his breakfast was ever ready on time, his lunch and dinner were equally served on time. He loved his smoked sausages, toast, bacon, French fries, ice-cream, jollof rice, salad. Papa was never far from his fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

Hon. Dominic Ojei was a very powerful dresser, who appeared very neat and on point at every occasion. He was very mindful of quality in everything that adorned his body and in every endeavor; quality came first as far as he was concerned. Papa loved good perfumes and gold necklace too.

Papa’s generosity knew no bounds; he took responsibility of caring for his dear parents. He built a house for them at Issele-Uku, known as Kassa House at an early age of thirty years, relocated them from Kassa in Plateau to Issele-Uku in Delta State.

As part of his generosity, Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei took up responsibilities very early in life, he catered for all the widows in his locality, Idumugala, he solely took up charitable work of ensuring that all the widows, were given monthly stipends and their children were sent to school, a task he accomplished through an elderly friend who was equally trustworthy, the Late Pa P.C Nwosu of blessed memory. One of Papa's favorite quotes underpins his kindness and generosity and it goes thus 'Lord please grant me these things every day: to be useful to my fellow man, to build and not to destroy'. His fervent believe and trust in God was such that he fasted and prayed every Friday .

Papa’s passion for the arts brought him into acting too, to our greatest admiration, he would recite all the lines he crammed while he was in school and vividly play the parts including the clapping parts too.

Papa loved music so much and danced a great deal, he would close from work and still visit the dancing school every evening to dance and teach people the dance steps at the time, such as tango, trotters twist, rumba, and salsa.

Little wonder in later years, while relaxing with his darling wife, Mrs. Comfort Nwakaego Ojei, they sat down reminiscing on their early years, they sang various old songs together. Most popular of the songs that Papa liked so much was “I bless the day I found you”, “Great is thy faithfulness”, and he loved listening to all Jim Reeves and Don Williams songs etc

Papa was disciplined to the core and a no nonsense man. He ensured that he impacted discipline into his children; the daughters are so well brought up to the extent that any man that married any of his daughters was regarded as very blessed and favored ditto for sons too.

Papa’s legacy for all his children was good education. As far as education was concerned, Papa was of the opinion that, he would rather wear khaki shorts and shirts everyday to ensure his children are well educated than buy expensive clothes and luxurious cars which he could afford anyway, rather than having a bunch of half-baked educated children. Hence his pack of highly educated ladies and gentlemen as children.

Papa’s profile is incomplete without the mention of his love for his darling wife of over 65 years, Mrs. Comfort Nwakaego Ojei aka Mama (They both got married on the 1st of December 1951) Mama was not of working class because her darling husband wanted her to sit at home and take good care of him and the wonderful children they are blessed with. However, there was nothing the working class women had that Mama lacked.

Papa together with mama showed so much love to their children, at each family member’s birthday, both of them called the celebrant to pray, sang happy birthday song for the person and celebrated at home in absentia for the celebrant.

Papa believed in God and the efficacy of prayers, devotion time was irrevocable and constant daily by papa, mama and everyone in the house. They also had a regular fasting and prayer day where they intercede for their immediate and extended family.

Just like every family, we also had names for our dad, we called him “igbims” (a million dollar question what that means, it’s a secret to be kept forever by us the children). When we lived in Oke Bola, the guys called him “Baba double barrel” because they believed he was very possessive of his daughters and never wanted to see any guy near his daughters, so they all steered clear. (Laugh)

Hon. Dominic Ojei was a man of the people; he could play with a baby, a child, an adult and an aged person.

It is also worthy of note that Hon. Dominic Okadili Ojei was the first Aniocha North man to be elected into the defunct Bendel state House of Assembly in 1979. He was so popular and divinely favored that he was the first Issele Uku man to bring the late Gen. Osaigbovo Ogbemudia to Issele Uku. He was also the Chairman of the Committee that welcomed one of our own Air Marshall Sunday Dike to Issele-Uku. Papa an illustrious son of Issele-Uku did a lot for his town and his fatherland in general. God in turn blessed him with a wonderful wife, many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who survived him. Papa is a man above tribal sentiments and this is glaring from his friends, in-laws and business associates. He spoke Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba fluently.

May his gentle soul Rest in Perfect Peace, Amen.

ADIEU PAPA, SLEEP ON TILL WE ALL MEET TO PART NO MORE………………