ASMACS IMT Enugu mourns Late Sen. Ayogu Eze even as the Department’s home-coming nears 

Robert Madu, PhD.

The professional and political brand in Late Senator Ayogu Eze may have been instigated at this prestigious Department of Mass Communication, Institute of  Management and Technology, (IMT) Enugu. The motto of the Association of Mass Communication Students (ASMACS), “A market place of ideas” obviously, was a connecting underlying dot that positioned him for a transformational value and inadvertently broadened his horizon even at the midst of striking for superior perspective. That motto; such a phrase; though not just catchy and inspiring, evidently, is a well loaded psychological asset that further supports the foundational theories about the mighty hand of the pen, public diplomacy, strategic communication and the dynamics  that go with the art of relationships. The young Ayogu, just like multitude of other students  in the Department must have felt thrilled, inspired and cornered by way of this  academic and disciplinary exposure and started early to work out how best to make use of this tremendous asset that invariably, could be said to have consumed his life time.

The Shakespearean and ancient aphorism that ”some men were born great while some had greatness entrusted upon them” could not be ruled out as the late senator’s public service effort is inseparable and went with elements best described as acts of destiny. Therefore, in Ayogu was such great interplay of hard work and fulfillment that seem scheduled by the hands of the unseen to be. Late Senator Ayogu Eze has held many notable positions in politics and seemingly reaching his climax when he was elected Senator to represent Enugu North in the Nigerian Senate both in 2007 and 2011 general elections on  the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). He was appointed Commissioner for Information under Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and during the Dr. Okwy Nwodo administration; late Ayogu was appointed Senior Special Adviser to the Governor. Late Ayogu defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and typical of his  survival instincts, wrestled the party’s gubernatorial nomination from the lion’s den to match up against Governor Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) in 2015 general elections. However, 2015 was not his time but used such opportunity to display his real stuff as he remains the only candidate of a major party in Enugu state that never approached the court to revert  electoral fortunes of the opponent. What a classical PR stunt!

Late Senator Ayogu’s huge learning disposition was not derived as a result of on the job  learning or many of his high level political and leadership arithmetic. In the words of Chinese Kung Fu, Ayogu was fortunate to have arrived at the prestigious Department of Mass Communication when we had great Masters and possibly the greatest in Africa, available and strongly determined to nurture success even when it involved mentoring beyond the classroom. At that time, the Department boasted of such three academics that just arrived from the United States of America. Late Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu (PhD. Massachusett) unarguably, the most sensational Media and Journalism scholar and teacher in Africa; Dr. Ezenweze Onyishi (PhD. Washington DC); and Late Professor David Edeani also who also returned with a PhD. from a prestigious institution in America. Such a trio were Africans’ never die and their varying capabilities and synergy made the Department an intellectual hub in Africa. Suffice it to say that many of their products were masterclass.

Late Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu, in one of our usual meetings, informed me of how he  persuaded Late Ayogu to join politics. Also, I consider myself lucky to have passed through such a trio at the university in the mid 90s. Such experience redefined to a great extent my world view. Late Ayogu even with his great intellect, may not had been among the five best students in the class. Unarguably, he arrived at the Department with tremendous amount of energy and showed great passion as he grasped the freedom which the new environment offered. Our American trio saw him coming, sized him up and helped to redirect his energy and mentored him to a point we do not know. At school, he started early to manifest the greatness that he later achieved. Late Ayogu’s 1983 debut for Student Union Presidency was so sensational that it attracted the attention of the then, Governor of old Anambra state, Chief Jim Nwobodo.

The last I met late Ayogu was during the funeral of Governor Sullivan Chime’s mother  as he arrived in a private chartered jet and at the height of his timber and caliber fiesta and as a strategic member of all important red chambers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Department tried to contact him recently, in respect of planning our home-coming, but the text message was not replied. We did not know he may be undergoing some health challenges. He used to reply our earlier text messages and we got worried. Then the  news came that he has joined the world beyond and such propels a recall with nostalgia his efforts and how such have impacted on the living.

The Department of Mass Communication, IMT, Enugu, in a special way continues to mourn the passing of our legendary scholar, Late Senator Ayogu Eze with regrets of some sort of unfilfilment. The Department believes that the story could have been more glorious and fulfilling if Late Ayogu had instituted a kind of fellowship in the Department incorporating some scholarship especially for the less privileged and indigents that have the intellect and energy or in remembrance of the trio American trained teachers. It is not about class or wealth when it comes to giving back. I have been at the Department for more than fifteen years and I never saw him knocking. Though, it is a generic mistake and we are all guilty. However, we are caught in the midst of a new social responsibility gap that mandates those who have reached commanding heights to develop a giving back  mentality to earlier schools or institutions and such creates a lasting impression that stays till infinity.

Nevertheless, we have many former students who have shown significant care and works hard to push the Department to a global trend. For example, Professor Ekwo Uchenna of Rutgers University, New York, USA, who is currently on a Diaspora fellowship had consistently for the past four years organized annual seminars both for the lecturers and select students on issues of public importance in media studies. Again, 1998 HND final set came and donated to the Department important teaching materials that are now part of our teaching resources. I hereby acknowledge that some other sets have made promises to assist in certain areas. All these tremendous changes are taking place when we have what is now being referred to as an ‘internally generated Acting  Rector’, Dr. Ejim Patrick Emeka, a great man of idea and works on transformational vision for the Institute. And, what of the wider political environment where tomorrow is here with a firm will to deliver. Surely, I believe we are within a distance of reaching the promise land. In the midst of our home-coming programme as we aspire to recall all those who have passed through the Department as a model to iron out important solutions starting from 14^th August to the D-Day 16^th August, we still mourn with regrets the passing away of Late Senator Ayogu Eze in body and spirit and as a gateway for remembering all the students and colleagues who have passed through this way and who are now late, for example, Late Professor David Edeani, Late Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu and Late Chief Amafili, the American trained journalist.

Robert Madu, PhD. 

Head,

Department of Mass Communication, 

Institute of Management and technology (IMT) Enugu.