Benin Writers' Society Honour Chief Sam Igbe MON JP on His Birthday Calls Him a Cultural Icon and Societal Stabiliser

Special Birthday Felicitations to Chief Sam Igbe MON JP:An Avatar that Comes Once in Generation

By:Douglas Ogbankwa Esq -President, Benin Writers' Society.

Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe MON ,JP , is an extra ordinary being traversing several eras and many trajectories .A cultural icon , retired crime burster ,he is what the Benins call *an Odelevbo*, which means the *person who makes society better*


Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe, MON, JP is an astute ,is also as *Adaze*-an extra ordinary great man .He is astute administrator, a vast educationist, a magnanimous philanthropist , who shows that make a living by what you get , but make a lives by what you give .


He has played a leading role in the development Spectrum of the great Benin Kingdom, since he started serving in the Palace of the Oba of Benin since 1979, rising through the ranks to his current status.It is in demonstration of his activities that he was bestowed with the prestigious and distinctive title of the Iyase (Traditional Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom. This essentially makes him a numero uno and a Primus Interpares among his peers .


Born on 13 September 1929. The Iyase had his primary education at the erstwhile CMS School, Benin City. After his primary education, he proceeded to the prestigious Edo College, Benin City, where he obtained the Cambridge School Certificate in 1952. Thereafter, he underwent a pragmatic teacher’s training course at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo.From 1952 to 1954, he was a Third Class Clerk in the Colonial Civil Service. He had a short but eventful stint in the teaching profession where he was a class teacher. He was recruited into the Nigeria Police Force in the pioneer set of the Cadet Sub-Inspectors and he was trained at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, for 12 months. In 1978, he retired voluntarily from the Police Force as a Commissioner of Police.

He has been of deserved service to the Society He served on the Board of the erstwhile Midwest Hotels. At various times, he was the Chairman of many Government Boards, including Agbede Warake Farms and Midwest Transport Services Limited (Midwest Line).He was also a Commissioner in the Midwest Public Service Commission.

To say that Chief Iyase is a lover of sports is an understatement .Indeed, to show this fact Chief has written a book on the development of Sports in Nigeria.The Iyase served as the Secretary of the then Nigerian Inter-Service Games, Chairman of the Nigerian Basketball Association and Member of the Nigerian Football Association.After this, the Iyase formed the Nigerian Rubber Board Football Club, which later became the Flash Flamingoes Football Club , that later became Bendel United that won Continental Championships for our Great State and Country.

The Iyase of Benin is a prolific writer , that has authored of several literature.

Even at 5 Years Less of a Century Years at 95, you can be taken as a 45 Year Old , due to youthful look and your effervescent candour. You have been blessed with a wonderful family that are making giant strides in every part of the world.

It is said there is no success with out worthy successors.
As you celebrate your milestone , you birthed many Trail blazers in the Society, which include but are not limited to a Very Senior High Court Judge and a Former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and a Former Nigerian Ambassador Plenipotentiary. There are actually greater years ahead!

We celebrate you today sir on on your 95th Birthday and as a celebration of your cerebral fecundity, we hereby make a request that you become the first Patron of the Benin Writers' Society ,as a writer yourself and we honour your sir, as a precursor of the road less travelled .

About the Author.

Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.,@ douglasogbankwa@gmail.com, Lawyer, Writer and Policy Analyst is the the President of the Benin Writers' Society and the Convener of the Security Situation Room.