Azaiki Soaring Higher, Breaking New Grounds Globally
By Etete Enideneze, YENAGOA – Industrious, resilient and unflinchingly committed to personal growth and service to society, Prof. Steve Sinikiem Azaiki, OON, is soaring higher and breaking new grounds globally.
The public intellectual and technocrat has made marks in both private and public endeavours. He could be described no less as an accomplished man, whose life’s narrative inspires others.
He adds a year today, amid fanfare. Family, relatives, friends, associates and well-wishers of the colossus, are wishing him long-life and greater heights.
A celebrator of others, low and high, celebrating Prof. Azaiki, today, fits capturing as “The celebrator celebrated”, on his eventful birthday.
In this epochal moment, his Mentees in the academia, administration, leadership, corporate governance, within Nigeria and abroad, are nostalgically recounting his achievements. They and other well-wishers across the globe are showering accolades on the mentor.
Mr. Godwin Teddy Fefegha, Engr. Utovie Egba, Dr. Abraham Apereseimo and Prince. Freedom David, on behalf of the Mentees, said Prof. Azaiki is worth celebrating, for his personal accomplishments and decades of public service.
The Yenebebeli-Atissa-born Steve, of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, rose to stardom from a humble family background.
His progress was propelled by dreams, dint of hard work and scholarship supports by the Nigerian government and Russian government, for undergraduate, and graduate levels.
His father Stephen Azaiki, a primary school teacher, and foremost headmaster in the area, and his mother, Mrs. Abirindi Stephen, farmer and trader (all of blessed memory) moulded him towards greatness.
A man with diverse academic laurels, yet humble, Steve holds many academic and professional qualifications, from graduate to postgraduate, including masters’ degrees in Agronomy (Phythopathology: Crop Protection) and Project Management, respectively, from abroad and Nigeria.
He also has in his academic kitty, three doctoral degrees, in Agricultural Biological Science (Phythopathology: Crop Protection); Public Administration, and most recently a prestigious Doctor of Science (DSc) respectively, from European and American universities, respectively.
These are besides post-doctoral certificates form Ivy League Universities, professorial positions abroad, as well as published books, journals, conference papers, and public speaking engagements, leadership of academic associations, environmental and development organisations within Nigeria, Africa and overseas.
From his early graduate years to date, Azaiki has committed most part of his life, over three decades, to public service. His work career began with teaching at his Alma Mater, Bishop Dimieari Grammar School (BDGS) Yenagoa in 1979, lectureship in Europe beginning as a graduate assistant lecturer, to higher ranks and professorship.
He later became a resesrcher and administrator in the federal civil service of Nigeria in 1993, where one of his outstanding legacies is recommending establishment of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), meant to settle the Finima-Bonny youth agitations for a better deal in the take-off of the NLNG. The NDE scheme still exists nationally, till date.
Thereafter, at age thirty, he became pioneer Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Bayelsa State during the military era.
He was twice Secretary to Bayelsa State Government (SSG) in Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration, where he was pivotal to policy formulation, administration and lots more.
Since after that era, Prof. Azaiki has been at the beck and call of every administration in the state. He has had several honourary advisory, university governing council and committee positions.
Through these positions, he offered ideas and strategies for educational, agricultural, manpower development, investment and other sectoral policies and programmes, for instance foreign scholarships to young Bayelsans.
At federal level, too, ministers and presidents have utilized his technocratic and professional expertise, as honourary special adviser.
One remarkable personal contribution of the lover of education, is knowledge development. The splendid, serene and well-stocked Azaiki Public Library, in Yenagoa, established by him, provides charity services to scholars, researchers and general readers.
This is in addition to the Niger Delta Museum and Art Gallery, as well as Azaiki Foundation. His Foundation caters to the needy, through health support, education, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and so on.
A workaholic, the energetic and lively Steve, given the Monicker Yenagoa Boy, whether in or out of government always have his hands in many pies, either working privately or on special public assignments.
Intermittently, he leads or renders professional services to governmental and non-governmental, local, intercontinental and global organisations. These engagements, and love of travelling take the polyglot round the world for such services and leisure, as travelling they say is the best teacher.
While a member of House of Representstives, his legislative activities, oversight functions, constituency programmes and result-oriented articulation of local and national issues, such as Covid-19 pandemic, zonal infectitious desease centres, flood disasters and East-West Road dualization project, heralded his name.
Others include vehement oposition of obnoxious waterways bill, vexetious aspects of the Electoral Act and the meagre three percent funding for host communities in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and the East-West Road dualization project.
These and other feats, shot Azaiki to executive positions in continental and world organizations, and public speaking roles on infectious disceases, flood, agriculture, education, entrepreneurship, democracy, corruption and economic development in Nigeria and Africa.
For instance, he was elected President of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC), Nigerian chapter; President and Board Member Network of Parliamentarians, World Bank and IMF African chapter; World Comparative Education Societies, UNESCO Bureau of Education; Geneva; Under-Represented Group of Societies (UREAG), and the London Political Summit, where he projected interests of Niger Delta, Nigeria and Africa.
Recently, African Research and Policy Consortium (ARPC) appointed Prof. Steve Sinikiem Azaiki as Director and Coordinator, Centre for Polish and African Affairs (CPAA), to lead research, and catalyze development in Africa.
As Prof. Azaiki marks his eventful birth and soars higher globally, his Mentees join well-wishers across the world, to congratulate and pray God to grant him long life and more success.
Happy birthday, Prof. Steve Sinikiem Azaiki. Many happy returns, the Yenagoa Boy!
