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I was initially“conscripted” into journalism for the Port Harcourt based Nigerian Tide by Messrs Roland Amaewhule, Tony Tebekaemi, Tons Fetepigi and Beisha Bell-Gam (all senior editors) in 1972, a year after my call to the Nigerian Bar. I was then a young and impressionable State Counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Port Harcourt. Somehow, in the years that followed, Minere Amakiri, the central character in the 1972 famous State House barber case of Port Harcourt (who was then the Rivers Stat’ Correspondent of The Nigerian Observer) successfully “blackmailed” me to join that newspaper as a full time Legal Correspondent.

Nigerian Observer was then the undisputed flagship of Nigerian journalism. I later rose to become the first Legal Editor of the paper. In that capacity, I wrote quite a number of opinions, editorials and articles. I also managed some features and interviews. However, my high point in journalism which like law, is a slave driver, thankless, jealous and precarious, came in 1985 when I established, edited and published The Nigerian Law Times, a weekly law newspaper, now rested unfortunately. The contributions of Late Aikhen Uduehi to that project can never be sufficiently acknowledged. On several occasions Aikhen drove all the way from Lagos to Benin City at his own expense, to advise me on the editorial and technical details of the proposed professional newspaper. To me, my meeting and eventual friendship with Aikhen was pre-destined.

The 1970’s witnessed a galaxy of cerebral newspaper columnists and one name that stood out was that of Aikhen Uduehi. His weekly political sermons in The Punch Newspaper were not only professional and passionate but prophetic and of course, the authorities took notice; for, as Mark Twain once said, “A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is but to make people angry enough to do something about it...” After reading one of his numerous articles in 1979, I remember asking some media friends; “who the hell is this Aikhen Uduehi?” I did not have to wait for long for an answer. Early in 1980, he was appointed the Editor of the Nigerian Observer, a paper where I had kept a column; “The Law” for many years and was, that time around, the external solicitor. A few days after he started signing the newspaper, I stopped over to pick up some documents for the preparation of some court processes.

“Is the new editor in?” I asked the petite secretary. “Yes sir and please go right in”, she replied without looking up from the pile of papers she was typing. I was taken aback. No queuing up. No appointments and no protocols. Incredible! “Here is a simple and unpretentious man. My soul mate,” I soliloquized.

Anyway, I did as I was told by the secretary and met a fairly beefy and dark complexioned man about my age, poring over the art work of a newspaper centre read on a medium size mahogany desk in a modest office. A hand shot across the desk to shake mine firmly. On his face was an expansive disarming smile. “Aikhen Uduehi” he said. “Pat Okupa” I said, “Pleased to meet you.” was the simultaneous reply. “Please sir sit down. Tea or Coffee?” he asked “Coffee” I answered. As I sipped the steamy coffee, a hearty conversation and later argument, ensued and believe me, from that day, a very intimate friendship began between us. Over the years, it blossomed into brotherhood. We dined and wined together. We talked, argued and quarreled, yet remained the best of friends.

Now, who was Aikhen Uduehi? He was born at Ekpoma, the intellectual hot bed of Esan land on Sunday, August 22, 1948 to late Pa J.O. Uduehi. His father named him Aikhenan, literally translated means, “No fear here” (about this child). In Esan land, names mean a lot and invariably people live up to their names. At baptism late Aikhen assumed the Christian name of John, one of the prominent names in the Bible. He however, stuck to his ancestral name throughout. He attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Ukpoke, Ekpoma and proceeded to Anglican Grammar School, Ujoelen, Ekpoma. After a stint in the Federal Civil Service he gained admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a degree in political science. Soon after his study at ABU, Aikhen arrived at The Punch where his creative articles carved a niche for him in journalism. It was from Punch that Aikhen came over to The Observer as the editor. He also became board member of the Bendel Broadcasting Service. I doubt whether he knew the enormity of the problems in The Observer before he accepted to edit that paper. Systematical and financially asphyxiated, the paper was in the last cadaveric it spasm. The Observer was at this time, a classical study in media malignancy in Nigeria.

To cynics and detractors Late Aikhen Uduehi was to be a mere coroner and undertaker. Just to find out the cause of death by conducting a post mortem examination; call in the hearse and mourners and then give the paper a decent burial. They were mistaken and were put to eternal shame. Somehow, Aikhen did a mouth-to-mouth respiration, applied accurate diagnosis and medication and wasted no time in turning around the fortunes of the newspaper. This was not surprising for, by the time I met Late Aikhen Uduehi for the first time, he had already made a solid name for himself in journalism. I put him down alongside the great Ernest Ikoil, Ebenezer Williams, MCK Ajulu Chukwu, Gab Idigo, Tony and Peter Enahoro, Alade Odunewu, Tunde Jose, Sam Amuka and Tony Momoh in my personal pantheon of media intellectual gods.

At the Observer, Late Aikhen Uduechi refused to be his master’s voice, engaged in mere public relations journalism. He ran the paper based, mainly, on public interest because he believed that journalists are sureties for the liberty of the citizens, especially the oppressed. This was the role which he successfully played in Observer in spite of the constant and often, viscous conflicting clash of competing socio-political interests in’ the old Bendel State. According to the former Chief Justice of the USA, Warren Burger who believed strongly in the constitutionality of fairness doctrine in journalism; “Editing is what editors generally are for; be it radio, newspaper or television-and editing are selection and choice of materials. That editors, therefore can abuse this privilege is beyond doubt Calculated risks of abuse are taken in order to preserve higher values” Aikhen did not abuse that privilege throughout his stay at The Observer.

As a former solicitor for The Observer for many years, I can, and hereby attest to the fact that cases of libel against the newspaper were virtually non-existent during his sojourn at Airport Road, Benin City.

How he managed it remained a closely guarded media secret which we shared together until he transited. Late Aikhen and I had a rich spiritual and creative communion that served us both as enduring cerebral aphrodisiac. We found that we shared identical interests, ideas and judgments on persons, matters and issues in the world around us. Akhen left The Observer before the end of his contract not because he was incompetent. The reason, as world acclaimed poet Odia Ofeimum aptly put it, in his “Tribute” in 2004 is that; “Aikhen, a man unused to wheeling and dealing could hardly find his feet in the quicksands of a provincial newspaper bereft of market share, starved of funds and unable to meet obligations to workers “ After his tenure, it is not incorrect to say that the glory of The Observer or whatever was left of it, vanished entirely. Very sad indeed.

On leaving The Observer, Late Aikhen next stop was the National Concord where he was a well respected member of the Editorial Board. The publisher, Late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola soon recognized the creative abilities of Aikhen and appointed him the Managing Editor of the Community Concord, a grass root publication issuing weekly in virtually all the States of Nigeria in English and the local languages. It is incontrovertible that the Concord group of newspapers especially the Community Concord contributed in no small measure in the eventual mass appeal of the Late Bashorun 1993 presidential bid.

It was therefore, inevitable that Late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola and Late Aikhen Uduehi became quite close. Aikhen was an indispensable member of Bashorun’s Political Think- Tank. “In that capacity, he crises-crossed the length and breadth of the country as he helped the late politician-publisher erect a solid political base, which impact became manifest in the legendary June 12, 1993 presidential polls which Abiola won fair and square “ (Odia- Ofeimon)

Soon after the June 12 debacle, Late Aikhen disengaged from active journalism to run his private business under the rather picturesque and mythical name of AWASE Nig. Ltd. As an author and publisher, he had to his credit “The Panorama Magazine” and some books including “Coup To Coup” and “Short Takes on Constitutional Reviews.”

October 22, 2004 Aikhen Uduehi transited to glory, exactly two months after his 55 birthday. As the great Nigerian bard Christopher Okigbo once wrote; “An old star departs, leaves us here on the shore; Gazing heavenward for a new star approaching, The new star appears, foreshadows it going a going and coming that goes on forever”. Today four years after his transition I remember and treasure the memory of my great friend, Late Aikhen Uduehi.

Tributes have been, and will continue to be paid by those who perhaps, knew him better than me. My task here is simply to illuminate his nature and character that may not be obvious to ‘many others.

Aikhen Uduehi was not just a top- flight, prolific and creative journalist; he was a high caliber manager of men and materials with great foresight and enormous far sight. He was pragmatic, unassuming, caring and cheerful. Aikhen didn’t really care about material things. His non-materialistic attitude to life found expression in his total commitment to his work. He was very concerned about the welfare of people around him whether relations or friends or total strangers. There was never a dour moment with Aikhen. He was generous to the extent of self-denial. As a columnist, he was in a class of his own and will be remembered for his lucid thoughts and imaginative writings that illuminated the socio-political spectrum of this country for many years.