By Ikhile Donald Samuel
Happy Birthday to Chief Anthony Akhakon Anenih at 79th.
Background
Anthony Akhakon Anenih was Born in Uzenema-Arue in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria on 4th August, 1933. His middle name means ‘Patience.’ He had his Basic Education at Government School now Okpujie Primary School also in Uromi from 1944 - 1949. As a Young Boy, he was known to be steely determined to succeed and quickly began to dream beyond the four corners of Uzenema-Arue Uromi.
Tapping of rubber trees in many plantations was the 'oil and gas' in the region during the colonial era for many young and old people. A stint in this rubber industry fetched him a brand New Bicycle with which he started to transverse the semi-urban and urban centres of Ubiaja, Auchi and Benin City in search of greener pastures.
In 1951 he joined the Nigeria police force in Benin City. Knowing the prospects of a better education, he struggled at home to obtain the GCE 'O' Level as well as 'A' Level. He attended the Nigerian Police College in Ikeja, and was selected for further training in the U. K. and U. S. A.
As a Young Police Officer in Auchi, his colleagues still remember his taciturnity and one of them noted that you only hear his voice when it was time for operations. He quickly won the admiration of his white superiors who voted him for training at the Hendon and Scotland Yard Training Schools in 1961, Bramshill Police College, Basingstoke, England in 1966 and the International Police Academy, Washington DC in 1970.
He help groom Younger Police Officers as Instructor in various Nigerian Police Force Colleges and establish Police Formations Nationwide until 1975 when he proceeded to the Administrative Staff College (ASCON), Lagos. He had served as a Police orderly to the first Governor General of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and perhaps first got exposed to the rudiments of Politics there. He retired from the Nigerian Police Force as a Commissioner of Police
Political Career
Chief Anthony A. Anenih was the State Chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1981 and 1983, he worked tirelessly for the election of Dr. Samuel Osagbovo Ogbemudia as the Civilian Governor of the then Bendel State. This victory was short-lived owing to Military intervention in December, 1983. But it is however on record that Chief Anenih made that turn-around for NPN in less than one week.
Shortly after the 1983 Presidential election results indicated a landslide lead for UPN in Bendel state on that fateful Saturday voting, just one week to the gubernatorial election, a highly disturbed Anenih put his Benin GRA residence for mortgage and used the resources to pep up campaign strategies for NPN. The strategy worked, as support for Ogbemudia, the NPN gubernatorial candidate shored up massively during the next Saturday voting.
As National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party between 1992 and 1993, he engineered the internationally-acclaimed and transparent Presidential victory of Chief M. K. O. Abiola in the historic elections of the popular June 12, 1993. The political dexterity of Anenih dating from the days of Shehu Yar’Adua’s Presidential Campaign. He was a member of the Constitutional Conference in 1994.
Hate him or love him, Chief Tony Anenih is a political mega force you cannot shove aside in strategies, noted Prince Tony Momoh, former Minister of Information. Over time, Anenih has come to understand the Nation's Political waters and how it tumbles.
Anenih was said to have masterminded the April 26, 2002 declaration of President Obasanjo at the International Conference center Abuja. He was Deputy National Coordinator of Olusegun Obasanjo's Campaign Organization in the 1999 and 2003 Presidential Elections
As Deputy National Coordinator, Obasanjo Campaign Organisation, Anenih was the think-tank, the strategic planner and the mobilization expert that produced the victories for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and also in 2003 when former Presidential Olusegun Obasanjo nearly lost out to the greater scheming of another PDM stalwart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Anenih was a member of the PDM (People Democratic Movement) until early April 2002, when he transferred to the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Anenih was instrumental to the emergency of late President Yar'Adua as PDP Presidential Flag bearer and also his victory at the April 14th 2007 Presidential Election along with His Vice, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Anenih also played a key role during the sickness and eventual death of President Yar’Adua to make sure His Vice, Goodluck Jonathan succeeds him as President. During the 2011 Presidential struggle, Anenih help to change the PDP Constitution which Zone the Party Presidency to the North and help to make sure President Jonathan emerge as PDP Presidential Candidate.
He campaigned vigorously for the Victory of Nigeria President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Chief Anenih became Minister of Works and Housing in 1999 after the Senate, during his screening rose, chorused; 'our leader!' and asked him to take a bow and go.
Chief Tony Anenih loves the many things he does with a passion. One of them is loyalty. Once he is with you, he will hardly dump you. Perhaps that is why he has had many loyalists at his fingertips, across ranks and positions; from Presidents to State Governors, Senators, House Reps and Assembly Members, Party Chairmen, Board Members down to Council Chairmen and Councilors.
These qualities were the indices that recommended him for the post of Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP. But Anenih has never been too lucky with loyalty in return especially amongst his Edo State Political followers.
Shortly after Dr. Ogbemudia was sworn in as Governor of Bendel State in 1983, he took on Anenih and the showdown was just about unfolding when the military struck. John Oyegun, Lucky Igbinedion and Professor Oserheimen Osunbor have also had their wars with Anenih after ascending power at various times. Anenih and Osunbor fell apart immediately after the 2007 Election, which saw Prof. Osunbor emerge as Edo State Governor. The ACN Governorship Candidate Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole took Osunbor and PDP to the Election Tribunal. Due to the rancor between the two Political father and son, PDP lost in the Election Tribunal and Appeal Court to the opposition ACN. Oshiomhole took over the mantle of leadership in Edo State as the Governor 2008. Oshiomhole and Anenih also have a cordial relationship until went bad.
Anenih PDP was able to hold down the Edo Central Senatorial District returning PDP to victory during the 2011 General Election from Governor Oshiomhole ACN but the July 14th, Governorship Election which Adams Oshiomhole won was a big blow to the old Man popularly known as MR. FIX IT by Political Associates.
Known as 'Mr. Fix-it', Tony Anenih has made his mark as one of Nigeria's most flexible politicians and the ultimate Political Survivor - he has served every military and civilian regime since Shehu Shagari became President in 1979.
In July 2005, the erudite Politician was invited to his hometown in Uromi where all the Enigie of Esanland jointly conferred on him the title, Iyasele of Esanland, thereby making him a High Chief and pioneer Prime Minister and Chief Spokesman of the Esan Community comprising the entire Edo Central Senatorial District in Edo State.
His wife Iyom Josephine Anenih, a Lawyer, was the Chairperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers from 1994 to 2000, and was the First National Woman Leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) from 1999-2005. She was appointed Minister of Women Affairs on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his New Cabinet and remains in Office till President Jonathan dissolve his Cabinet in 2011.
He has also received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt, Igbinedion University Okada, University of Benin and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Career: President, Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, 1978-84; Chairman, Social Democratic Party, 1991-93; Member, People's Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Policy Advisory Committee, 1999; Minister for Works, 1999-2003; PDP BOT (Board of Trustees) Chairman 2003-2007, Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), 2009 to date.
Chief Anenih's pastimes include jogging, reading, music and philanthropy. He loves Lucky Dude's music a great deal. He can also be very humourous when he decides to break his taciturnity.
Chief Anthony A. Anenih is a Father, grandfather and great grandfather, Uncle, Brother and many Political Sons and Daughters.
Happy Birthday Chief Anthony Akhakon Anenih at 79th....
Special thanks to Tony Ikpasaja and Hon. Abumere Giwa as Contributors.
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