Professor Suleiman Bogoro (Former Executive Secretary of TETFund):
Oratory on H.E. Amb. Henry Odein Ajumogobia SAN, OFR
The Chairman of Board of Trustees of Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, HE Emeka Ayaoku, Special Guest of Honour, HE the Governor of Lagos State, the Executive Secretary and members of the HLF BOT, past and incoming Awardees of nthe HLE Role Model Award, very distinguished invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to unveil the abridged Citation of Barr Henry Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, OFR for his HLF-ROLE MODEL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE IN PUBLIC AND BUSINESS SECTORS.
This deserving HLF Role Model Awardee has remarkably excelled in both Leadership and Governance and more so in both Public and Private sectors, and if I may add, including his top class academic credentials acquired in one of our best Universities as well as the Ivy Leagues of this world. He was called to the Bar in 1979 at the Law School Lagos a year after he had graduated LL.B. with flying colours at the University of Lagos. He later studied at the Havard University Law School for LL.M specializing in International Commercial arbitration, international business transactions , Conflict of Laws, International Law, Energy and Natural Resources Law. He was also a Teaching Assistant at the University of Lagos as well as Fred Rgbe and Company.
Having smartly equipped himself intellectually, he proceeded to accept appointment and did serve as Attorney General/Commissioner of Justice of Rivers State and subsequently at the federal level between 2007 and 2011 as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and then Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan with remarkable distinction.
Considering his versatility and resourcefulness, it is not a surprise that he was appointed into very high level national and international Commitees and responsibilities, which included, inter-alia, National Economic Management Team, Privatization Council, Independent Power Program, National Security Council, United bNations Security Council, Council of Ministers of ECOWAS. He was also involed as Concultant on Nigeria LNG Project, as well as with First Boston Inc, Legal Consultant to many national and International Corporations and Companies, thus granting him the multiple platforms that made it easy for him to fall back to the Business and overall Private sector after his stint in Government. It will thus amount to begging the question as to the secret of his being so exceptionally successful in both Public and Private sectors. Also, granted, the corruption investigations government,and the non-mention of the former Minister in any scandal, besides his remarkable performance in both Public and Private Sectors in a country where some public officials hardly sleep after leaving office for fear of implication in shoddy deals, these have constituted the most important reason for his nomination for the prestigious Award of HLF Role Model fore EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. Congratulations Sir.