A Reflection at Eighty-Two: The Lion’s Quiet Gaze

I stand at the threshold of my eighty-second year, and the road behind me stretches like the ancient paths of Esanland, winding, sometimes treacherous, yet always leading toward a higher purpose.

Born on the 10th of April 1944 in Kumba, in what was then Southern Cameroons, I was carried across borders by destiny before I could walk. My parents, John Onile and Victoria Isiemoa Ikimi, both children of Igueben, planted in me the unshakeable roots of home. Today, as Oduma of Esanland, the Lion who roars not for conquest but for protection, I look back and see not merely a life, but a tapestry woven by divine hands.

From the disciplined halls of St. Joseph’s College. Sasse-Buea, where Mill Hill Catholic fathers taught us that true strength lies in service and adoration to God our creator, to Professional engineering career as foundation student at the Midwest Polytechnic Auchi, to the drafting tables of Ahmadu Bello University and the founding of Tom Ikimi Design Company in 1977, my early years trained me to build.

Architecture was not just about concrete and steel; it was about creating structures of hope for a young nation. Yet the greater edifice I was called to help raise was Nigeria itself, its democracy, its dignity on the world stage, its fragile unity.

Politics tested me as fire tests gold. As member of the Constituent Assembly 1987/88 and the first National Chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC), as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1998 and through the turbulent seasons that followed in APP, PDP, and the Action Congress, and later chairing the historic merger, first of its kind, of four major political parties to form the APC which is the ruling party of today. I learned through this journey that political sagacity is not the cunning of the fox but the steadfastness of the lion.

I walked through corridors of power where ambition often eclipsed principle, yet I carried with me the quiet counsel of the Knight of Saint Gregory the Great, bestowed upon me in 1993 by Pope John Paul II now Saint John Paul II. That knighthood was never a medal to wear lightly; it was a daily reminder that every treaty signed, every diplomatic bridge built, every difficult decision taken at ECOWAS tables over Liberia and Sierra Leone, must be measured against the higher law of justice, mercy, and the common good.

The traditional stools I have been privileged to occupy, Inneh of Igueben (inherited in 1988), Akinrogun of Ife (conferred in 1991), and Oduma of Esanland, have taught me that leadership is not borrowed from the modern world alone. It is rooted in the soil of our ancestors and sanctified by the living God. To be a chief among my people is to be father, judge, and servant in one. These titles humbled me even as they elevated me, reminding me that the true leader does not stand above his people but walks among them, listening to the heartbeat of the land.

Yet of all the mantles I have worn, none has brought me greater joy or greater responsibility than those of father and mentor. To watch my children, three sons and a daughter, grow into their own callings, and to see younger leaders across Nigeria and beyond rise with integrity, vision, and compassion, is to witness the only immortality a man may truly claim on this side of eternity.

I have tried, in boardrooms and village squares alike, to pass on what the years have taught me: that power without character is tyranny; that wealth without generosity is poverty; and that politics without spirituality is merely noise.

At eighty-two, I do not look back with regret, nor do I gaze forward with fear. I see instead the quiet providence that has guided every step, from the classrooms of Buea to the halls of Aso Rock, from the drafting board to the throne of tradition, from the confessional to the international conference table. I have fought for democracy not because it is perfect, but because it is the best vessel we have yet fashioned to carry the God-given dignity of every Nigerian.

If there is one truth I would whisper to the burgeoning leaders who now look to the future, it is this: Lead with the heart of a servant, the courage of a lion, and the humility of a knight before his King. Build not monuments to yourself, but bridges to those who come after and above all, remember that the greatest legacy is not the titles we collect, but the lives we lift and the souls we help set free.

As the sun sets gently in my State (Edo State) at the capital City (Benin City) where I am today, I express my gratitude. I thank the Almighty God who called me, the Church that nurtured me, the nation that entrusted me, my beloved family that supported me, and the young lions rising to take on the mantle. I declare that the journey continues. While the lion may not roar forever, the pride it leaves behind must roar with greater wisdom and pure love. Nations are built with the energy of the youth and the counsel/wisdom of the aged.

In this moment of reflection, as I quietly celebrate my eighty-second birthday I assume the true roles of a Senior Citizen. I open my doors to counsel every party and interest seeking to build our nation. This marks an

important chapter in my political career, and I pray that the leaders of our nation prioritize peace over identity politics of difference. I urge them to ensure freedom of expression for all parties and guarantee a level playing

field for everyone, in order to preserve our hard-earned democracy.

Meanwhile I am compiling my thoughts in preparation for the release of my memoirs in a non too distant future even as I continue to observe the climate and give guidance as necessary to the right path.

May the God of all nations, who made us one in Christ, grant Nigeria, and every son and daughter who calls her home, the grace to rise above our divisions and become the beacon we were always meant to be.

High Chief Tom Ikimi, FNIA, KSG, CON

Oduma of Esanland

Inneh of Igueben

Akinrogun of Ife

Knight of Saint Gregory

10th April 2026