By Chiamaka Ekwuwe

Chairman of the League of Patriotic Lawyers, Abubakar Yesufu, has described the death of former Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dan Osi Orbih, as the end of an era, saying the late politician will be sorely missed by Nigerians and the many people whose lives he touched.

Yesufu, who spoke in a tribute to Orbih, said he received the news of his death with disbelief before coming to terms with the reality that the former PDP chieftain had died in London after a brief illness.

He said: “With a solemn and heavy heart, enveloped with grief yet filled with immense gratitude to God for a life well spent, I extend my condolences to the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo and at the national level, and the immediate family of the late Dan Osi Orbih, the Oduma, Lion of Uzairue, Balogun of Egbaland, Esama of Uromi and Kulukulu 1 of Ogoniland.

“When I first heard the sad news of the demise of Dan Orbih, I received it with disbelief. But later in the day, the news cascaded into reality that he had indeed passed on in London after a brief illness.”

Recounting his first encounter with Orbih, Yesufu said they met at Advanced College, Igueben, where they were both admitted on September 15, 1979.

According to him, they later proceeded to the University of Benin, UNIBEN, where they pursued their university education.

Yesufu recalled that when he conceived the idea of contesting for the Students’ Union presidency and needed to build a support base, Orbih was among the first people he approached.

He said: “When I first mooted the idea of contesting the Students’ Union presidency and I needed to start building my support base, it was Dan that I first ran to, as I was more at home with my Benin friends than my Etsako brothers.

“Dan, even as a young man, successfully built a bridge across the three senatorial districts. I climbed the bridge to attain this rare achievement as a president of the Students’ Union. Dan, I owe my acceptability in my native Etsako.”

Describing Orbih as more than a bridge builder, Yesufu said the late politician was an institution and a symbol of discipline, patriotism and integrity.

“He was not just a bridge builder, he was an institution, a symbol of discipline, patriotism and integrity. His death must be the end of an era, but his legacy extends across generations,” he said.

Yesufu said he considered it one of the most beautiful memories of his life to have met and interacted with Orbih on several occasions, adding that his simplicity, candour and brotherly warmth left indelible marks on him.

He said Orbih’s honesty, modesty and sincerity of purpose distinguished him as one of the great leaders the country had produced.

According to him: “Dan was a man of the people, like his father, M.C.K. Orbih, and passionately devoted to the people.

“He spent most weekends in Ogbona, Etsako, and when I once ran into him and asked him why he was always in Ogbona, his reply was subtle: those who will help the poor and comfort the stricken, he said, must go out and live among them.”

Yesufu said Orbih’s commitment to the people reminded him of the story of Father Damien, who devoted his life to serving people affected by leprosy.

He added that Orbih, despite his geographical reach and political growth, remained deeply connected to his village and would not stay away for long without visiting.

“Despite his geographic reach and growth, Dan would not shy away from his village for a week without visiting there,” he said.

On Orbih’s political career, Yesufu said the late politician was courageous and never shied away from expressing his views, even when doing so attracted opposition.

“As a politician, Dan was never a coward. He proclaimed his views with vigour in his attempt to translate his dreams into reality, and he gave and received many hard knocks in his life journey. Oshiomhole just testified to this,” he said.

Continuing, Yesufu said Orbih was a man who maintained his dignity even when others faltered, adding that he was able to move among the powerful without losing his connection with ordinary people.

“Dan was a man who kept his head high when leaders lost theirs, who worked with kings but never lost his common touch. Dan was a great populist who knew how to tickle mass emotions.

“He believed in himself and sampled the great pleasures of life, and these curious combinations of faith and joy before he was snatched away by the hand of death made him truly unique.

“ Dan will be sorely missed.”

‘He never forgot his roots’

Yesufu also recalled their formative years at Advanced College, Igueben, and the teachers who, according to him, played significant roles in shaping their lives.

He listed GP Alufokhai, the principal; Mr Ishiaye, the Vice Principal who also taught Mathematics; and Gift Nikoro, their History teacher, among those who influenced them.

He described Orbih as a visionary and calculated mind, saying he was not among what he described as “deviant minds” who frequently ran into trouble with the school’s strict disciplinary system.

According to him, Dickson was their leader, while he was usually number two and was nicknamed “Rawlings” by the principal because of his perceived resemblance to former Ghanaian leader, Jerry Rawlings, as well as his involvement in student activities.

Yesufu recalled that they once found themselves suspended from school and had to make Uromi their second home because they were afraid to return to their parents after the incident.

He said other students who were suspended included Chike Chucks Okafor and Joe Umole, adding that their offence was that they complained about what they considered the high-handedness of the principal, GP Alufokhai, and the deteriorating living conditions in the school.

According to him, the protest eventually yielded results, as the conditions improved after their suspension and the students became happier.

He said a classmate, Twist Ibadin, who later became a commissioner, accommodated them in Uromi during the period of their suspension.

Yesufu recalled that Orbih did not abandon them during the difficult period.

“Late Dan visited and ensured we never ran out of foodstuffs. He scooped foodstuffs from his native Ogbona and his father’s Hilltop Hotel to sustain our stay in Uromi,” he said.

For Yesufu, the gesture captured the essence of Orbih’s character, a man who, despite his political stature and achievements, remained deeply connected to his roots and concerned about the welfare of others.

He said Orbih’s life and legacy would continue to resonate with the people he encountered, particularly those who benefited from his friendship, courage, generosity and commitment to public service.