The first Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Commodore
Oladipo Philips Ayeni, has died. He died in Lagos state at the age of 68. Continue
to see statement from his family…
We regret to announce that Commodore Oladipo Philips Ayeni
has passed away. Cdre. Ayeni was born in February 1949 at Okemesi-Ekiti in Ondo
State to Late Pa Anthony Joseph Olayinka Ayeni and Late Madam Abigael
Tunuola Ayeni. He passed away on 21 April, 2017 in Lagos, Nigeria. He is
survived by five children and 10 grandchildren from his marriage to Madam
Gladys Ayeni: Yewande Yayock; Oluwaseun Ayeni; Oluwarotimi Ayeni;
Temitope Ayeni; Oluwatobiloba Ariwayo.
Cdre. Ayeni possessed a keen intellect that propelled him
continuously forward in education and career. He was educated at Boys’
Secondary School, Gindiri Plateau State Nigerian Defence Academy, Brittania
Royal Naval College Dartmouth, INS Venduruthy Cochin-India, Maconi College
at Chelmsford Essex, Command and Staff College at Jaji, and National War
College (now National Defence College) where he was a pioneer student.
Cdre. Ayeni served his country beginning with his commission
as an officer of the Nigerian Navy in July 1972 at age 23. He rose rapidly
in his career, and by age 27 he was the Commanding Officer of the NNS
Oguta. In 1979 he served as Signal Communications Officer, and by 1981 was
the Staff Officer Training at Naval Headquarters. He then served on board for
two years as the Signal Communication Officer and First Lieutenant for the
NNS Aradu, the Navy’s Flagship. From 1985-1986, Cdre. Ayeni commanded the
NNS Enyimiri. In line with his love of higher education, Cdre. Ayeni
became the Directing Staff at the Command and Staff College in Jaji, and
then the Director of Naval Signals at Navy Headquarters for three years before
continuing as the Chief Instructor on the NNS Quorra. He also served as
the Chief Instructor, Snr. Division, for Navy Faculty, Command, and Staff
College in Jaji from 1995-1996. His final appointment was as the First
Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, where he served from 1996-1997.
While serving as Bayelsa Administrator, Cdre. Ayeni’s regime
swiftly set in motion a series of development projects and systemic
changes with far-reaching impact, including:
Establishing the State Judiciary (independent of
Rivers State Judiciary)
Establishing a traditional rulers’ council
Rehabilitating pipe-borne water in Yenagoa
Bringing All State Trust Bank to Yenagoa
Initiating Bayelsa State Housing Estate
Procuring twenty lines from NITEL, Enugu Exchange, on
29 Nov. 1996
Monitoring asset-sharing between Rivers State and
Bayelsa State
Constructing Swali Market
Commencing construction of the government house
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