At a relatively young age of 38 years, Honorable Philip Agbese, the lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State and currently the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity has undoubtedly etched his name on an uncommon golden plate reserved for great achievers whose dispositions clearly stand at a distance from the present time rabble rousers in our political space.
One may not mistake him for a rare gem as he has astutely acquitted himself as one in the midst of hundreds of lawmakers with varied educational and professional backgrounds. Little wonder therefore, the house leadership found him worthy of being appointed as the Deputy spokesman of the Green Chambers to assist Rt. Hon. Akintunde Rotimi (junior), who is the lead spokesperson for the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 10th Assembly.
Born on February 25, 1987 into the royal family in Agila land, in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, Agbese began his educational career at LGEA Primary School, Agila in 1992. On completion of his primary education in 1998, he was admitted at the Federal Government College, Ugwolawo, Kogi State, where he eventually obtained his West African School Certificate. His pursuit of knowledge led him to the University of Ilorin, where he studied and earned a degree in Biochemistry between 2005 and 2009. With some didactic spirit as a driving force, he travelled outside the shores of Nigeria to seek more knowledge. The young Agbese was in London, where he studied and obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Chichester in 2020, and another Master’s degree in Human Rights Law from Middlesex in 2021. He also holds a Diploma in Freelance Journalism from the British College of Journalism, London.
Unrelentingly, throughout his career, Agbese has been associated with impactful organizations. He served at the Centre for Social Justice, Equity, and Transparency from 2012 to 2015. As a Principal Partner at Preventive Diplomacy in Geneva, Switzerland, he contributed to conflict resolution efforts. In line with such aspiration, he established the Global Amnesty Watch in London in 2015 and subsequently founded The Nigerian News Group, a media organization, in 2016. His literary ingenuity extended to the realm of literature, with his contributions as an author of numerous books and articles, both locally and internationally.
Politically, Agbese’s journey began with active participation in student politics while studying at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria where he held positions in the Students’ Senate and the National Association of Idoma Students (NAIS) during his time at the University. Interestingly, his foray into mainstream politics came in 2019 when he became a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). After securing the party’s nomination, he clinched victory for the Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency seat in the 2022 primary elections, triumphing ultimately over contenders from the People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party in the February 2023 National Assembly elections.
Since his election as a lawmaker, Agbese who could be described as one of the youngest parliamentarians in the 10th Assembly, has not disappointed his constituents as his mercurial disposition in the House of Representatives remains iconic. Apart from discharging his duties as a deputy spokesman efficiently whenever occasion calls for him to interface with the media on behalf of the House of Representatives, he has remained an ardent stickler to the legislative agenda of the House leadership which is regarded as the working document adopted after some wide consultations and inputs from civil society organizations and the constituencies being represented.
It was obviously in recognition of his outstanding qualities as a lawmaker and his versatility as a 21st Century democrat that Hon. Philip Agbese, was appointed the Chairman, Nigeria-Finland Parliamentary Friendship Group barely a year after assuming office as a first term legislator by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas vide a letter dated May 14th 2024. Agbese heads a strong team of six parliamentarians from Nigeria that also includes Hon. Okere Tochukwu Chinedu (Imo) as deputy. Others are Hon. Richard Olufemi (Ekiti), Hon. Ekpo Paul (Akwa Ibom), Hon. Akiba Bassey Ekpenyong (Cross Rivers), Hon. Saba Ahmed Adam (Kwara) and Hon. Fulata Abubakar Hassan (Jigawa) as members.
In appointing Agbese as leader of the team, the Speaker had implicit confidence in him and went ahead to charge him and his colleagues to enhance Nigeria’s legislative relationship with Finland in line with the 10th National Assembly legislative agenda. Like a goal getter that he is, Agbese has gallantly taken it as an opportunity to prove his mettle and has assured of not disappointing the House leadership and his other colleagues.
“I am deeply honoured to have been selected for this prestigious role and I’m excited to work towards strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations,” he said. “I am committed to dedicating my time, energy and expertise to lead the group effectively and ensure its objectives are achieved. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues from both Nigeria and Finland to promote cultural exchange, economic cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy. I am eager to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as education, innovation, and sustainable development, and to facilitate dialogue and understanding between our nations.
Agbese who was also recently elected Rapporteur, Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs at the Pan-African Parliament is confident that their joint efforts will yield fruitful results and contribute to the prosperity of both Nigeria and Finland in the new assignment.
Within the past 18 months Agbese has represented the people of his constituency, a lot of achievements have been made as democracy dividends and he has largely been noted as a lawmaker with a heart of gold in terms of his vision, empowerment of the people, confidence building and fostering of growth in addition to creating of environment that shows signs of lasting legacies. For example, recent media reports explained how he has empowered 80 rural women in Ogbadibo, specifically in Itabono 1, Itabono 2 and Ehaje Ward 2, all within the Owukpa District. These areas have also received solar lighting installations. Similarly, Orokam 2 and 3 in the Orokam District are benefiting from solar installations as well, all courtesy of Hon. Agbese who has been recognized with a chieftaincy title as the Okanga of Agila land.
Additionally, he has helped his people with the back-to-school bursary initiative, with 400 beneficiaries carefully selected from each council ward in Ogbadibo Local Government Area. These have all been achieved in less than two years since he was sworn in as a legislator in the House of Representatives. There are many other landmark achievements to his credit and the sky seems to be his starting point in his parliamentary journey towards creating a better Nigeria.
