*_By Franklin Adaz_*
It was early November last year at the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, surrounded by dignitaries from both the public and private sectors. I felt honored to be selected as one of the delegates. The opening remarks by the chairman of the summit were intriguing and captivating. There stood a man, passionately speaking about the economic successes of Edo, highlighting a growth of over 140% in the past seven years. He envisioned an Edo that would be the best subnational in Africa, regardless of Nigeria’s current challenges. He spoke about making Edo the next tech and innovation hub in Nigeria. His remarks struck a chord with me, making me believe in the possibilities of a better Edo and how achievable they are with the right leadership. That was my first official encounter with Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and I instantly admired him.
At the end of November, I received a call from a friend inviting me to join Asue Ighodalo’s team. At that point, I knew little about him beyond his role as chairman of the Alaghodaro Summit, Sterling Bank, and his sponsorship of Bendel Insurance FC. We scheduled a meeting, and to my surprise, we were all young minds. The convener didn’t say much but simply sent us a link to RMD’s interview with Dr. Asue Ighodalo and asked us to do our research to understand the kind of man we would be working for.
Asue’s speech at the Alaghodaro Summit had already piqued my interest. Watching the interview and doing further research only deepened my admiration. Here was a man who co-founded one of the best corporate and commercial law firms in Africa, chaired over nine multinational companies including Nigerian Breweries PLC and Levene Energy Group, and was a past chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He is a board member of several firms. I was amazed at his robust CV, his successes, and the fact that I was just getting to know about such an asset from Edo State. At that moment, I was convinced that Asue Ighodalo is the best man to take over from Governor Obaseki.
My first meeting with him was memorable. I saw a man full of energy, swag, and quite a sense of humor. He’s a good listener, takes notes diligently, and is always ready with his pen and notebook. He clearly outlined his visionary plans for Edo and how he intends to achieve them with practical solutions. He even entertained questions from us. I remember raising an opinion; he listened keenly, taking notes throughout. Imagine this man writing down what I, a final-year medical student, had to say. After the meeting, he laughed with everyone and asked for our feedback in subsequent meetings.
Since then, the experience has been amazing. Working with Asue has been incredibly inspiring. The more you know him, the more you love his personality and what he represents. You get motivated whenever you hear him speak. He always checks up on those working for him, full of wisdom and passion for transforming Edo into the cynosure of all eyes. He never tires of telling the good people of Edo about his transformative plans for the state. His work ethic is unmatched, and he believes that with hard work and dedication, anything is achievable.
I am a proud ASUELITE, and I urge my fellow youths to support a visionary leader who has the people at heart and is committed to transforming Edo.
Dr. Franklin Adaz is an advocate for good governance.