“As we came out of the lift, and within few minutes later, I saw a dazzling man with impressive appearance of simplicity, it was Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, a Kenyan Lawyer and Activist.”
On October 3, 2025, I decided to pay a courtesy visit to Brig. General Dr. Oviemo Ovadje, rtd, OFR, a respected and celebrated Nigerian Army officer and Medical doctor, who was a medical director of the Ikoyi Military hospital, Lagos. He was the First African during his time to win the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gold Medal, award, Geneva Switzerland, for inventing EATSET. Won the World Intellectual Property Organisation Gold award, Geneva Switzerland, 1995, Army Council Medal, award, Abuja ,2005, Centenary Medal,Abuja, 2014 among others.
I have not seen the retired General in the last three years but we have kept in touch through telephone conversations. The last time I visited him was in 2022 when he delivered Afrikanwatch Network’s lecture on Urhobo Nation held in Warri, Delta State.
And so, visiting the General in his Lord Lugard Avenue Court two days ago rejuvenated my spirit to father and son relationship. While there, one of his aides brought me coffee tea and, and in the heat of the tea, General walked down from his staircase down to the pre’sit. Mark! Mark!, the General hails, as I responded; the General Sir!, the General Sir!. He smiled. Again, I hail, the General, ‘you are looking young.’ In his usual way, he joyfully grinned, hence He was very happy to see me.
Gloriously, we had conversations briefly about the nation, especially why it is important to see how he can contribute to the primary health care of his state, Delta. He said, if he is invited, why not, he will be willing. While the discussion was ongoing, my phone hoots, it was my friend and brother, Mr. Victor Cletus Mfon, the founder, Impact Initiative for Youth Mentorship (IIYM), formerly Impact mission Initiative, (IMI), whose leadership event will hold on October 11, in Lagos.
Humorously, Mr. Mfon, said, Comrade Mark, where are you. “I am at Ikoyi, in General Ovadje’s court.” This was around 1-20pm. He then said, please; the famous professor from Kenya you always wanted to meet is in town, Prof. PLO Lumumba. I hmmmed and said: “I will leave Ikoyi very soon to Yaba and prepare to join you,.” I promised.
According to Mr. Mfon, the time the professor gave is 4:30pm. And so, I hinted the General that my friend is taking me to see one of the greatest intellectuals in the continent of Africa, a Pan-Africanist, Prof. Lumumba. The General exclaimed, oh! He is my favourite and I love him and his intellectual prowess.
Finally, I left General Ovadje, rtd, at Victoria Island where I had accompany him and his driver to attend for something important.
Around 3:20pm, I arrived Yaba to meet Mr. Mfon and his lovely Kenyan wife, Betty, to Lagos Continental Hostel, Victoria Island where the professor and his wife had lodged. While we sat down at the reception, the Professor’s wife came to receive us. Few minutes later, Mr. Mfon led us, myself, his wife, and Dr. (Mrs) Elizabeth Kings-Wali, Advisory Board Chairman, (IIYM), directly to the professor’s sumptuousness suit through the lift.
As we came out of the lift, and within few minutes later, I saw a dazzling man with impressive appearance of simplicity, it was Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, a Kenyan Lawyer and Activist. It was like the description of K.Khac Huyen in his intellectual work, titled, Vision accomplished, The Enigma of Ho Chi Minh, where he eulogized Minh, a Vietnamese leader of the century, as saying: “Ho was basically a humble man. His appearance denoted the simplicity of a man devoted to the service of his people and a total disregard for unnecessary comforts.” This was what I saw in Professor Lumumba’s eyes as a man committed to the mentorship and development of young African minds to continue the dreams of the founding fathers. In fact, I was more humbled when I saw the way he was eager to businessly connect Dr. Kings-Wali, a woman he just met through Mr. Mfon, who introduced her to the professor. While he was speaking he cracked jokes upon jokes with us, in fact, one of them was, he doesn’t invest as he used to, because, most of his investments with organisations always collapse. We all erupted into laughter. He then concluded that part by saying, ‘invest in values.’
Apart from this, there were salient points he raised on how young people can strive irrespective of challenges which caught my greater attention. I then pushed a thought to him, that the issue of African leaders not engaging those with ideas but sycophants seems common. I had told the professor that, I do not know if it is a Nigerian culture, but he responded by saying, it is an African culture, that most of the African leaders prefer less idea persons to professionals who must have proven their worth. The enviable Professor went further to advice; ‘make yourself a big product, and you will be sought after, keeping doing what you’re doing, someday you will be looked for.’
In the area of mentorship, he said, “Those that you mentor must be better than you.” I found this very apt because it does not really exist in our present day Nigeria, only few practices it, very few. I was also motivated when the professor said, “Take the long journey and keep doing the right thing in the right way.”
Prof. Lumumba was so pleased in receiving us with warm hospitality, giving courage that, as young Africans, hope should be seen as faith and providence.
By the time we finished discussion and departing the conference room, something interesting took place. The position of the chairs we sat had shifted, and it didn’t occur to us to put the chairs in the position it were. We were carried away with happiness of meeting an African literary icon and a patriot, To our surprise, the professor having noticed that the chairs had shifted from the original positions, turned back and starting placing back the chairs in their original positions. We returned quickly to join the noble intellectual to do the right thing. We were further humbled by his action.
–Mark Columbus Orgu, is the Editor-in-Chief, Afrikanwatch Network, Lagos (08028592006)
