By Ben Ozor
“Choosing good ministers is vital, because a ruler shows his intelligence in his choice of the men around him”, writes Niccolo Machiavelli in “The Prince”.
It is therefore heartwarming that the governor’s picks for various jobs have continued to generate positive vibes because promising to grow Enugu State’s economy seven folds from the present $4.4bn to a whooping $30bn as he promised, in addition to very ambitious transformations reeled out in his manifesto, is one thing, but transcending the mundane to go for quality hands for the job is the only hope that the promises will come to fruition.
Education is a specialised sector that needs people schooled in the sector to get things right. Thus, Governor Mbah’s appointment of Gabriel Ogbuife Chukwubuikem Ajah, mni, Ph.D, better known as Dr. GOC Ajah, as the Chairman of the Enugu State Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) is yet another well commended step that reflects his wisdom and determination to place round pegs in round holes to be able to deliver on his massive campaign promises. A highly experienced public administrator, who equally rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the State Government, Dr. GOC Ajah’s educational and glittering public service backgrounds, no doubt, prepared him well for the job he has been called to do.
He holds the National Certificate in Education (NCE) from the College of Education, Benin; Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in English and Master of Education (M.Ed) in Education Administration both from the University of Benin. He later obtained a Bachelor of Laws, LLB.B (Hons) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He participated in the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 24 at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos that makes him an mni (Member of the National Institute), a highly respected rank in the Nigerian public service. He capped it up with a Ph.D in Education Management from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). One remarkable story Ajah’s educational trajectory tells about him is his knack for knowledge and commitment to continuous self development right from the time he bagged his First School Leaving Certificate in 1973 to when he bagged a Ph.D. decades later.
Meanwhile, Ajah’s cognate experience prepared him for his new job. He served as Permanent Secretary at ENSUBEB from 2005 to 2007 and had also served as a Sole Administrator of the same Board. It is noteworthy that he served as the Chairman, Nkanu East Local Education Authority (LEA) in 1997, giving him a firsthand experience in the challenges facing primary education. But he has equally served as Permanent Secretary in the Enugu State Ministry of Education in 2004, giving him an overview of the challenges and prospects of education in the state.
An educationist to the core, Dr. GOC Ajah has served as a Part-time Lecturer, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, where he taught English language; Part-Time Lecturer, Our Saviour Institute of Science and Technology (OSISATECH), Enugu; Coordinator, Use of English, Division of General Studies, and later a Senior Lecturer, Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu; and Lecturer, Institute of Ecumenical Education, Enugu, among others.
It was after his foray as a lecturer that Dr. GOC Ajah transited to public administration proper as Chairman of Nkanu East LEA; Special Assistant to the Secretary to the State Government; Permanent Secretary/Chief Administration Officer, Office of the Governor; Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Agriculture; Permanent Secretary, ENSUBEB; Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Office of the Secretary to the State Government; Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Education; Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Office of the Secretary to the State Government yet again; and Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals.
If you have ever come across, even if you do not like him for any reason, you cannot but notice and appreciate his unassuming or humble nature. A team player, and Mr. Due Process, that humility in service and passion for service and the education sector saw him take up the job of Chairman, Enugu State Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board even after serving as Secretary to State Government (SSG).
Today, duty calls again. His education, his knowledge, his public service experience, his versatile experience in the education sector, his antecedents, his esteem, his pedigree, his humility in service, his character, his doggedness, his integrity, his acuity, his meticulousness, his entire career, and indeed his total being are invoked to duty – the duty to serve Enugu in a Dr. Peter Mbah era and help fast-forward the long awaited tomorrow. Truly, Governor Mbah could not have made a better choice. Ajah is fit for purpose and one can only add one’s voice to the overwhelming voices of Ndi Enugu endorsing this pick by the governor.
Ozor writes from Enugu
