Permanent Secretary, Elder Statesman, Orator
Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff was a Permanent Secretary and recipient of a National honor, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Who Was Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff?
Alabo Samuel David Iroumfamokuma Ayebaotonyemiete Eke-Spiff, OON, JP (1923–2009), was from Twon-Brass Island in Bayelsa State.
Known widely as “S.D.,” he became the first Nigerian Chief Labor Officer (in an acting capacity) of the federation and was among the first permanent secretaries who laid the administrative framework for the civil service in the old Rivers State in 1967. His popularity rose in 2002 when he won a legal case: Administrators/Executor of the Estate of Abacha v. Samuel David Eke-Spiff & ORS based on the premise that “He who owns the land owns the property on it.” The court ruling became a landmark in Nigeria’s judicial system.
Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff carved a niche for himself as an orator and was a staunch Anglican who fervently supported the building of Saint Barnabas’ Anglican Church, Twon-Brass. He died in 2009 at the age of 76.
When and Where Was He Born?
Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff was born on July 16, 1923, in Twon-Brass Island, Eastern Nigeria (now Bayelsa State).
Parents
Samuel David Eke-Spiff’s mother was Madam Elizabeth Eke-Spiff, and his father was Elder Edeh Eke of Gbobokiri, Twon-Brass, and Oloibiri in Ogbia Kingdom. He was the last child of his parents.
Education and Working Career
Samuel David Eke-Spiff attended St. Barnabas’ Anglican Primary School from 1931 to 1937. He later enrolled in the Senior Cambridge Certificate Program and received his certificate in 1942.
In 1943, Samuel David Eke-Spiff began his working career as a trainee engineer with United African Company (UAC).
In October 1944, he was recruited into the Nigerian Public Service as a Clerk. He was later appointed Assistant Labor Officer-in-Training in September 1949.
Eke-Spiff attended a Factory Inspection course at Plymouth Polytechnic, UK, from 1957 to 1958, earning a diploma in Administration and Industrial Safety.
In April 1958, he was promoted to Inspector of Factories.
In 1961, he attended another course at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, earning a diploma in Industrial Relations, Industrial Safety, and Occupational Health. He was promoted to Senior Inspector of Factories in April 1963.
He attended the 4th World Congress on the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases at Wadham College, Oxford, in June 1964. In April 1968, Samuel David Eke-Spiff was promoted to Assistant Chief Inspector of Factories (Federation).
He was a member of the British Institution of Industrial Safety Officers and the American Society of Safety Engineers. In February 1969, he transferred from the Federal Public Service to the Old Rivers State Public Service and was promoted to Administrative Officer Class I in January 1971.
Moreso, in May 1971, he was promoted to Permanent Secretary and again to Permanent Secretary (Super Grade) in October 1974.
Samuel David Eke-Spiff retired from public service in May 1976 after 32 years of service.
Legacy
Samuel David Eke-Spiff left a legacy of strong administrative leadership in the old Rivers State, which continues to be relevant today. He was appointed a member of the newly created Rivers State Interim Advisory Council, which operated in Ikoyi, Lagos State, from May 1967 to September 1968, as Port Harcourt was still under rebel occupation during the Nigerian Civil War.
In 1968, he was one of five senior civil servants on Governor Diete-Spiff’s entourage that landed in Port Harcourt in September to begin the tasks of state-building after its liberation by the Federal Government.
His administrative acumen was evident when he was appointed Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Establishment, where he drew up the administrative rules for civil service operations.
At the Ministry of Lands and Survey, as a Permanent Secretary and member of the Eastern States Interim Assets and Liabilities Agency (ESIALA), he also served as Chairman of the Abandoned Properties Committee, overseeing the allocation of plots of land in Port Harcourt.
Most significantly, he supervised the sale of abandoned property houses, a program that attracted criticism from opposing factions. Despite this, he upheld the philosophy of the Rivers State Government: “We cannot be tenants on our land.”
Chieftaincy and Other Awards
In 1997, His Royal Majesty King A.P. Diete-Spiff, OFR, Seriyai II, Amayanabo of Twon Brass, bestowed a personal chieftaincy on Samuel David Eke-Spiff, a rare honor within the Nembe community.
In December 2002, President Olusegun Obasanjo conferred a National Honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on him.
Subsequently, in 2004, he was appointed Interim Chairman of the Twon Brass Chiefs Council.
Estate of Abacha v. Eke-Spiff
The Head of State, General Sani Abacha, unlawfully assumed ownership of a property belonging to Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff at 167 Aba Express Road, Port Harcourt. The estate erected an eight-story building on the property.
Alabo Eke-Spiff fearlessly sued the Abacha estate and, in 2002, won the case, where the court ruled that “he who owns the land owns the property on it.”
The Saint Barnabas Church Building
Alabo Samuel David Eke-Spiff was a steadfast Anglican who worshiped at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Twon-Brass. He supported the building of a new church edifice, which was completed and dedicated on November 1, 2003.
As a Social Engineer
Among his friends, Eke-Spiff was known for his oratory, writing, and voracious reading. He authored The Founding of a Community and the Church in Brass, 1868, chronicling the history of St. Barnabas Church and the bravery of Nembe Kingdom leaders.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1985 and served in several leadership roles in the Brass community.
His Wife and Children
He was a polygamist with 20 children who continue to make positive contributions to society.
His Last Moments and Death
After retiring from public service, Alabo Eke-Spiff returned to Twon-Brass, where he was actively involved in community affairs and the development of St. Barnabas Church and the Anglican Church Diocese of Niger Delta West.
He passed away peacefully on October 19, 2009, at his home in Twon-Brass. His 10th-year remembrance was marked in 2019 by his children, grandchildren, and family friends.
