CHIEF ALEX ADOGHE is an entrepreneur whose other mame is called Mr. Passion
He loves to be passionate about anything he finds his hands into. He Presently owns and operates “NOAHS ARK HOTEL ANUITES” in Lekki Phase One, Victoria Island, Lagos and is also an active player in the booming property and stock markets around the world.
Beyond that, he is fanatical about the Esan Cause and he is presently the president of Esan People’s Congress, He was the National Vice-President of “ESAN YOUTH MOVEMENT” and he was in charge of Abuja and Northern Nigeria.Noah’s ark hotel and suites situated in the lekki peninsular axis of Victoria Island.
Just recently AREWA REPORTERS caught up with him to speak on wild range of issues in an exclusive interview with him, he has these to say;
INTERVIEW BY CHIEF ALEX ADOGHE
May we know you sir? Tell us a little about yourself.
CHIEF ALEX ADOGHE : My name is Chief Alex Adoghe, I am from Okuta Ebelle in Igueben LGA Edo State. I am a lawyer and businessman. I studied law in Bendel State university now known as Ambrose Alli state university Ekpoma. I attended the Nigerian law school in Victoria island Lagos and was called to the Nigerian bar I practiced law in the law firm of late professor Jim Akhere in Benin City.
The former deputy governor of Edo State Mr Pius Odubu was my senior in chamber in that law firm. I later set up my own law practice in Lagos with a branch in Abuja.
HOW DID YOU GO INTO THE WORLD OF BUSINESS THOUGH A TRAINED LAWYER ?
CHIEF ALEX ADOGHE : I guess I am a natural businessman with basic business instincts. As a student in BENSU I was organizing shows like musical concerts, beauty pageants, etc. The now famous ALI BABA use to perform regularly in my campus shows. He probably discovered his talents during those shows In my NYSC days in Umuahia Abia state where I served in the Nigerian police H/Qs as a lawyer. I opened my first real business, a restaurant and entertainment lounge called SNOOPIES using the money I saved from the shows from my university days.
The proceeds from SNOOPIES started a mini micro finance business where I was lending money to fellow NYSC corpers with an interest. I employed two staff to run both businesses with me while I was still serving as a corper. Years later while living in Abuja I visited late Chief Tony Anenih in his Asokoro residence and overheard some of his aides complaining that they have to drive to far away maitama to get barbers to do home service barbering for chief and to buy groceries too.
That prompted and encouraged me to open Asokoro supermarket (the first supermarket in Asokoro)and a couple of hair and beauty salons in Asokoro and other parts of Abuja. Asokoro supermarket still exist till today though I de invested and sold to our sister Mrs Audu Ogbe. She is Esan. I also owned and operated three restaurants, lounges, and entertainment centers in Abuja before graduating into hotels. I now own and operate Noah’s Ark hotels Ltd.
HOW DID YOU GO INTO POLITICS? Sometime in 1998 my friend Tony Prest introduced the late Ken Enahoro and his Dad the legendary elder-statesman Chief Anthony Enahoro to me and requested that I give them office accommodation in my law firm at Banex plaza on Aminu Kano crescent in Abuja for their M N R P ( Movement for National Reformation Party) This I did free of charge. I was only too happy to be of service to the legendary elder statesman.
There was an INEC requirement then that all political parties must have a physical registered address, hence the M N R P needed the office space I gave them in my law chambers to meet that INEC requirement Subsequently my interactions with the late chief Enahoro sparked my interest in politics.
The party MRP later merged with PDP and I became close to Chief Tony Anenih of blessed memory, who incidentally was my neighbor in Benin City.
He was chairman of my wedding in my younger days. I have been in PDP since 1999 till date mobilizing and helping the party in several capacities to win elections. I have been a National delegate representing Igueben LGA. I was a member of the Presidential campaign council for the Atiku Abubarkar presidential campaign in 2019.
So I have played politics in the grassroots and national level.
YOU BELONG TO SEVERAL ESAN ORGANIZATIONS , CAN YOU NAME THEM AND HOW THEY HAVE HELPED ESANLAND?You are right. I am a lover of Esan people. I am a founding member of Esan Solidarity Forum ,the parent body of “atanakpa” the security outfit set up to fight insecurity in Esanland. I am also a founding member of EDATI ( Esan Development and Transformation Initiative) we sometime ago gave electricity generators to the police stations in Esanland, solar lights to hospitals and notebooks to children in primary and secondary schools. I led the delegation to Esan communities to achieve this. I am a member of Association of Esan Professionals, the foremost organization of Esan Professionals whose achievements speak for itself and is too numerous to mention here for lack of space.
I was also the Vice President of Esan Youth movement in my younger days when I mobilized all the inigies in Esanland to Transcorp Hilton Abuja for the inauguration of the movement in Abuja. I belong to several other Esan organizations and groups.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY , DO YOU THINK YOU ARE CAPABLE, AND WHY DO YOU FEEL IT IS THE TURN OF IGUEBEN LGA TO PRESENT A REPRESENTATIVE ?
The business of making laws should be for lawyers who know the law and how to make it. So as a lawyer I have the capacity to represent my constituency in the National Assembly. Also I am a political and community leader. I know the pains, needs and aspirations of the people , especially the grassroots people and I will provide that efficient and effective representation that is needed at this critical time. If I am voted into the House of Representatives I will support the restructuring of the country, I will support the creation of state and municipal police as practiced in other civilized countries. This will help tackle and eradicate the present insecurity in Esanland and the whole country. Provision of water, agriculture, education and health are other areas that I will also expend my energy on. As for the issue of which LGA the next representative should come from, It is only fair and equitable that the next member of the House of Representatives come from Igueben LGA as Esan west and Esan central LGA s have both recently occupied the seats. Igueben LGA should not be left in the cold.
THANK YOU CHIEF ADOGHE FOR YOUR TIME.
