Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has hailed the late Chief Audu Ogbeh as a rare statesman and intellectual force, urging him to “tell Nigeria’s founding fathers that things are still bad” as he joins them in the afterlife.

Speaking on Monday at a night of tributes held for Ogbeh at the International Conference Centre, ICC, in Abuja, Ngige recalled the former agriculture minister’s quiet but commanding influence in government.

“People underrated Audu because he is slim and soft-spoken,” Ngige said.

“They think I’m the warrior because I have a beard and raise my voice. But when Audu speaks, his clarity and depth are unmatched.”

Ngige recounted how Ogbeh’s presentations at the Federal Executive Council often left even top officials, including former Secretaries to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal and Boss Mustapha, scrambling to keep up.

“After council meetings, they would go to his office to ask him to repeat everything,” he said. “His speed and knowledge were overwhelming.”

Calling Ogbeh a “precious gem,” Ngige said Nigeria had lost one of its finest minds “a man of eloquence, brilliance and a wealth of knowledge.”

In a reflective close, Ngige imagined Ogbeh reuniting with departed national icons.

“Audu, you are already there with Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo and the rest. Lecture them a little but tell them things are still bad in Nigeria, even if not worse,” he said.

Chief Audu Ogbeh, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and ex-Minister of Agriculture, died recently, at the age of 78.