AIG Chief Stephen A. Aiyewumi was born in Kabba town in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State on the 7th of September, 1938. He grew healthily early in life, obtained education and became interested in regimentation. He eventually enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a young officer with impressive and intimidating credentials prepared to lose his life in defence of Nigeria and in the protection of lives and property of Nigerians. He was well trained in Nigeria and in England. Progressively, he became an effective superior police officer, a gentleman, a fine public officer extraordinary, a citizen of unassailable integrity and a technocrat of high profile.
AIG S.A. Aiyewumi was a devout and a liberal Christian with robust faith who savoured the tenets of Christianity with malice towards none but with charity for all and a consuming compelling passion for doing good deeds. He was a workaholic and a diligent public servant. Fortune favoured him as he became a Commissioner of Police long before his equals during his impressive career in the Public Service of Nigeria. He remained in the public service of Nigeria until he retired meritoriously as an Assistant Inspector General of Police. He stayed in Abuja majorly till his death recently, on 12th July, 2023. He was almost aged 85 years. We will continue to admire, appreciate and love him even in death. His death is an irreplaceable loss in an inauspicious season. His demise is a great catastrophe that befell his home community in Kogi State.
He served God, Nigeria and mankind faithfully, patriotically, diligently and selflessly. He consistently exhibited strict cardinal virtues of honesty, sincerity, resourcefulness, transparency and accountability expected of honest people who occupy public positions of trust, great responsibility and high visibility. His quality as a person cannot be exactly expressed in words but suffice to say that he was disciplined, very humble, smart, valiant, sublime, informed and well connected. He was a man of impeccable judgment, witty, very witty indeed, selfless and immensely humane. He lived, worked and died for Nigeria.
AIG Aiyewumi was ACP, State CID, Sokoto, in 1980. I, then CSP Amen Oyakhire was his 2I/C then for three years. He effectively protected, actively preserved and intensively developed me (Amen Edore Oyakhire, then CSP) physically, academically and professionally to grow progressively into national pride. Indeed, surprisingly in July 1996, I was appointed the Military Administrator for Taraba State while still in the Police Force as a Commissioner of Police in charge of Plateau State. It is not an ambition for a senior police officer in service, no matter how articulate, to become a governor. It is not in the career prospects. I became a Military Administrator as a fulfillment of destiny with the pious efforts of my mentor, Oga Aiyewumi and others who strongly facilitated it because God rewards positive actions.
AIG Aiyewumi’s decisions, judgments, tutorials and verdicts as a senior police officer of immense professional talents and as a senior citizen extraordinary were prudent, constructive and witty. He read avidly, consulted widely, related properly, communicated effectively, reasoned rationally, acted appropriately and researched extensively on diverse issues particularly those relating to laws, civil service rules, politics, health, religion, security and governance. He paid meticulous attention to details and consequently only very little could occasionally escape his attention. He was modest, unassuming, incredibly intelligent and absolutely innocuous. He initiated for me, the unique Treasury Single Account (TSA) System which I used effectively in the governance of Taraba and Oyo States from 1996 to 1999. The TSA is a very strong system which enables the governor to greatly protect the public treasury from unlawful infiltration. Consequently, the treasuries in Taraba and Oyo states could not be invaded. I gave the idea to the Federal Government (Aso Rock) in June, 2015. Interestingly, it was used by the Buhari administration. May God mercifully accept his kind, lovely and peaceful soul into paradise.
AIG Aiyewumi was a great family man. He was handsome, healthy and lively. He was loved by his parents, uncles, aunts, wife and children. He showered his wife and children with love and gifts. He is survived by his wife, children (four boys, three girls) and grandchildren.
Nigeria will continue to search for men of goodwill of the calibre of AIG Chief Aiyewumi to fill positions of trust, service, sacrifice and high callings in her quest for sustainable development, particularly in matters of security and nation building.
- Prince Oyakhire is erstwhile Military Administrator of Oyo and Taraba states.
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