By Vivian Oduah
One of the hardest acts is saying goodbye to whom you still wish to have around. This has been the feeling of most of ActionAid’s staff and associates these past few days.
Ene Obi as widely known, a renowned activist of great repute, a development worker per excellence, a TEDx speaker, author, and writer, is retiring from ActionAid where she has left indelible marks in the hands and hearts of all she has worked with after her selfless service spanning 16 years, out of which she served as the Country Director for 6 years.
Born 61 years ago, on 27th August to be precise in Otukpo, Benue State, Ene Obi started her journey to activism from a tender age. That led to her student union leadership in the university where she was pruned for what was later to be her life calling; leadership and activism.
A core feminist and fierce critic of bad governance as well as a defender of the defenseless, Ene Obi stood against vices that negates the well being of the general masses in Nigeria.
She led notable rallies and protests against corrupt practices and injustices meted against the young ones, youths, women and girls in the country.
Worthy of note is the protest against the rejection of the Women Inclusion in Governance by the National Assembly March of 2022 where Ene Obi-led women agitators spent days with no food and hardly even had time to drink water, pleading only for justice for women.
Being a foundation member of ASUU and an erudite educationist, Ene was on the forefront of the July 27, 2022 massive nationwide protest which was the beginning of the dialogue that ended the 8 months ASUU strike and students got back to school happily.
Recently, she led Nigerian workers to protest the hardship the citizens were recently plunged into on the 2nd of August, 2023, amongst many others.
Her quest for clarity, inclusive and fair governance, and to improve voter apathy amongst the electorate, Ene Obi was elected Convener of Situation Room Nigeria on the 23rd of March 2021, and she had been discharging this duty with all efficiency. A light to it was the 2023 general elections where she outdid herself in making sure that the elections were well observed and that the masses were represented and protected during the course of the electioneering.
An astute reformist and progressive, Ene Obi impacted ActionAid Nigeria positively, championing impactful causes and promoting equitable changes to the organisation.
As she often say, ‘love is my driving force’, and truly, she had lots of love to share and that was evident in the testimonies everyone that knows her have given and also in her warm hugs which were quite reassuring and healing. Truly, Ene Obi will be dearly missed by ActionAiders.
March on, phenomenal Ene, there’s no hiding place for the star fish. We only wish you catch some rest before you hit the ground running again in your next endeavours.
With lots of love in my heart too, I say well-done and congratulations to whom deserves it the most.
- Vivian Oduah wrote from Abuja.