‘I Once Served As A Houseboy’ – Ex-Minister, Anthony Anenih On His Success Story -

He is a former minister, and a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of People’s Democratic Party(PDP). Chief Anthony Anenih has been instrumental to the making of Nigerian presidents, and governors. Recently, he launched his memoir titled My Life and Nigerian Politics in Abuja. In the memoir, the elder statesman also known as ‘Mr. Fix It’ revealed his success story. In Chapter 1 of the memoir titled ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’, the 84-year-old Esan chief revealed that, ” I grew up in Uzenema and only left the village after spending two years in the Government Primary School at Uromi.

“At this time, I had to leave the village to stay with one teacher, Mr. Ojeikhodion from Sabongidda-Ora in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State who was teaching at the Government School. I lived with him and served him as his houseboy while he paid my school fees because my parents could not afford my school fees. At the Uromi Government School, particularly after I moved from Arue to Uromi to stay with Mr. Ojeikhodion, I began to miss the motherly care and tender treatment of my parents in Arue but I wanted to be educated.

“Staying behind in Arue with my parents meant going with them to the farm. I might have been a farmer today. For me, it was a blessing to Nigeria, both of which have benefitted through my service to the nation, primarily as an educated person. A village farmer in this community would certainly not have been where I am today and would possibly not have made the same impact.”

Anenih was instrumental to the making of about four presidents: NPN’s Shehu Shagari; SDP’s MKO Abiola; PDP’s Olusegun Obasanjo; and governors of old Bendel, and Edo States: NPN’s Samuel Ogbemudia; PDP’s Lucky Igbinedion. On his legacy, Anenih says, “I can rightly, therefore, claim that in Nigerian politics, I have largely been a kingmaker, not the king, my leadership roles in the various political parties notwithstanding. I have been an organizer, an energizer, a mobiliser, a motivator, a schemer, a strategist, a planner and, quite often, a provider."