Tributes poured in on Monday night for late Emeritus Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu who was former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University as those who paid tributes described him in glowing terms.
The event took place during the Public Lecture and Night of Tributes at Faculty of Law Auditorium of the university with Prof. Seth Accra Jaja saying in his lecture his management thoughts and philosophies would never die.
Giving the tribute on behalf of former Vice Chancellors, Prof. Stephen Odiowei, said that it was a touching moment to speak on behalf of former Vice Chancellors of the university.
He said that late Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu was a man of many parts saying he built a strong academic profile which quickly saw him becoming Professor adding that his administrative style was open, inclusive and transparent.
The former Vice Chancellor of the university said that he was a skilful university administrator from whom he learnt his simple but effective leadership style.
He said although he was dead he left behind indelible footprints saying he would personally miss his demonstration of power in fruitful leadership devoid of force as another tribute by Alabo Emeritus Prof. D.M.J. Fubara said he had a meteoric rise to Professorship in Rivers State University and served meritoriously as Chairman of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and also served meritoriously universities outside the country.
Alabo Emeritus Prof. Fubara described the deceased as humble and efficient.
The Academy of Management Nigeria represented by Prof. Anayo Nkamnebe said late Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu was its pioneer Chairman of Board of Trustees and the Academy was privileged to tap from his wealth of knowledge in the last two decades.
He said that his life reflected life of service and he had self-sacrificial love for others saying that he was an academic.
He was a living testimony to the power of love, he said.
The representative of the Academy of Management Nigeria thanked the deceased for his commitment to the Academy of Management Nigeria.
Also delivering his tribute, Commissioner for Education in the state, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku, said he considered late Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu as his academic father saying that he had admitted him as law teacher in the university in 1989 and described him as a mentor saying he saw himself as one of his students.
He said that he was influenced by the deceased to pursue excellence.
Also in her tribute on behalf of colleagues of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr. Mrs Venoia Dagogo-Fubara said as chairman of RSIEC late Prof. Ahiauzu achieved many accomplishments and believed in consultative leadership and humility saying that he further enhanced staff welfare and was a good manager.
She said he undertook regularization and confirmation of staff saying that he brought discipline to the Commission in his time.
She also said he confirmed that he was a Professor of Management and Industrial Relations saying that she had served under him as Commissioner in RSIEC when he was chairman,.
She also said she would sorely miss him.
For his part, the Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Gladson Nwokah, said that the story about the Faculty could not be written completely without the late Professor, saying that he was free with everybody and people would miss him.
He said the university under Prof. B.B. Fakae had celebrated the late Prof. Ahiauzu when he returned after presenting paper at Makerere University, Uganda.
A member of Ogba Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government where the deceased came from said in his tribute that people were gathered to celebrate the deceased not to mourn his death saying that the deceased was an academic colossus.
The representative of the community, Prof. S.N. Okoroma, also said that he encouraged Ogba people to embrace university education describing it as his greatest contribution.
He said he gave his all to the community and built infrastructure in the university during his time as Vice Chancellor.
He said the community was satisfied with his contributions and service adding that the community would miss him.
The representative of Christ Church in Port-Harcourt where he was member of Men’s League, Chief Dr. M.S.D. Bob-Manuel (DMP, JP), said that although the deceased was 78, his achievements were as though he lived for 100 years or more.
He described him as an epitome of academic excellence and inspiration adding that he inspired his children, friends, students, relations and entire academic community.
He also said that he lived a life worthy of emulation saying that he loved academics and made books his friends.
The representative of the church described him as a star saying he would be sorely missed while the representative of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Dr. Obianko Nwile, said two things struck him about the deceased which were his faith in God and hardwork saying that he was also a disciplined person, academic giant and gentleman par excellence. Dr. Nwile also said that he had upgraded the status of the polytechnic during his years.
A tribute by Barrister Isioma Eweluka, one of his daughters, said that tributes were to celebrate and honour her late father and inspire the living saying so many things about her father could inspire the living.
She said that her father impressed on them the need to put God first in their lives and thanked him for teaching her the most important thing which is to put God first.
For his part, a member of the extended family, Elder Roland Orike, said that he was sent to thank the university community for the honour done the deceased saying that he made contributions to the family.
The family representative said that he was on a special list in the family and was hero as Hon Jacob Nwala said that the late Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu was his friend and gave himself a headstart in the pursuit of his education not having opportunities others had.
He also said the deceased studied very, very hard and was able to achieve his professorship within space of five years, describing him as a very competent person.
He also described him as very kind who would go out of his way to help others saying he benefited from his benevolence.
A documentary about his life was shown during the night of tributes.
In the documentary, former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, described him as a man of honour with respect for others.
There was also a poem recitation by one of his granddaughters.
Earlier, there was a lecture in honour of the deceased by Prof. Seth Accra Jaja who said that his management thoughts and philosophies would not die.
In the lecture on Idealized Culture and Value Creation: The Ahiauzu Management Thoughts and Philosophy, Prof. Accra Jaja said: “It can be argued that the most difficult thing to fight against in human society is an idea. So we are saying that even when you kill a man you cannot destroy his ideas”.
“Ideas can be transferred and live on from generation to generation even when the men who conceived them are dead. That we are not going to see Emeritus Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu physically doesn’t mean that his ideas are gone. His ideas will continue to be there to assist us in solving problems,” he further said.
In the lecture he said people should not forget what was placed around them.
He said that the discourse captured age-long need, interest and aspirations of African management scientists, saying that the deceased lived up to his name.
In the lecture he also said works by the deceased were ideas that could enhance value creation in human society and described idea in the works of the deceased as a “conceived thought that becomes foundation of a construct which develops into mental image which creates value”.
He said that ideas could outlive men even when those who conceived them were dead saying although the deceased was gone his ideas would be there to assist people in the work place including other settings.
He described idealized culture as a mental programming which holds people of a particular society together saying that the ideas of the deceased if properly applied could hold people in particular society together.
He said idealized culture was expressed through network relationships based on beliefs, values and norms adding that there was interplay between idealized culture and value creation.
He also said the works by the deceased could help Africans improve in their work places, describing him as a great thinker.
Previously, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. N. S. Okogbule, said in the welcome address that it was a sad moment but said the deceased had done so well for not just the university but society as a whole and described him as an international scholar, a great man.
For his part, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Prof. Nimi Briggs, said that he lost a brother in the deceased describing him as a fine gentleman.
The late Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu obtained an intermediate Law Certificate as external candidate from University of London in 1971 and obtained M.Sc. in Personnel Management in 1979 from Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom and Ph.D. in Industrial Relations and Organizational Behaviour from the same university in 1981.
Those present at the public lecture and night of tributes were former Vice Chancellors, politicians, friends and family, elder statesmen and members of the university community.
