First Bayelsa Military Administrator, Commodore Ayeni dies

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