Senator Joseph Ikpea: From the genealogy of philanthropy.

Chris Akhabue 

From the remote villages of Ewatto kingdom, Ukhun, Opoji, Ohordua in Edo State, to the Banana Island in the urban city of Lagos and to the capital cities across the globe, the name Ikpea, is synonymous with selflessness, compassion, philanthropy, and community service and it evokes admiration, respect, gratitude, inspiring trust and confidence, eliciting feelings of inspiration for others to engage in charitable activities in support of worthy causes. 

From Joseph Ikpea's ancestry to his immediate family, the ethos of giving back runs uninterruptedly deep. This bloodline traces its origin to influential figures who fostered charitable initiatives in every sphere of life; in education, healthcare, social welfare and in the process attracting

universal reverence for the family's unalloyed commitment to community service and each generation of the Ikpeas has deeply imbibed and advanced the gesture of selflessness and community service by sustaining and nurturing the belief that true wealth lies in uplifting others, a value that Senator Joseph Ikpea upholds tenaciously and fervently.

 In a recent interview with Senator Joseph Ikpea, he had this to say of one very life transforming lesson he learnt early from his billionaire elder brother, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lee Engineering Construction Nigeria Limited, the sole founder and sponsor, Agbonjiagwe Foundation, Chief Leemon Ikpea , "I have always looked up to you—not just because you are my elder brother , but because you have inspired me to understand what strength, kindness, and good behavior means in everyday life, my heart overflows with gratitude for the countless ways you have inspired and shaped who I am today. You have taught me that a true leader lifts others, and you have lifted me higher than I ever thought possible and my earnest desire is to lift others as well because I have come to understand that is where true strength lies" .

Born into a family that exemplifies and dignifies empathy and community transformation, Joseph Ikpea learned early in life on the importance of community engagement. His parents, committed to local causes, instilled in him the virtues of kindness and social responsibility. These teachings have become the bedrock of his political career. The Senator's outstanding record reflects a consistent dedication to serving the underprivileged, advocating for policies that promote equity and access to social welfare.

Raised in Ewato, Esan South-East Local Government area of Edo State, and deeply rooted in Esan culture and values of hard work and service, Joe as he is fondly called by his teeming admirers, colleagues and associates, second in line of three siblings of the Ikpea dynasty, is a man of few words but mighty in the act of selflessness and service to humanity.

Joe Ikpea's philanthropic endeavors are not new; his family has a history of giving back to the community. His elder brother Chief Leemon Ikpea, launched the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation in 2012, aimed at supporting the less privileged. This foundation reflects the family's commitment to helping those in need. 

So much has been said and documented about the undisputed sterling philanthropic credentials and antecedents of Senator Joseph Ikpea so much so that it would be immodest to attempt to chronicle a life long legacy of philanthropy that has come to be associated with Joe Ikpea as an addiction of a family bloodline.

So it was therefore surprising last week, that, out of political intolerance, a callous and mischievous attempt to rewrite history was made purposely to attempt to smear the impeccable philanthropic credentials and antecedents of the personable and relatable personality of the Esan born Senator, in which a video and a photograph depicting Senator Joseph Ikpea sharing "groundnuts" and a singular gift of a "motorcycle" as an "empowerment program for the youths" was circulated in some segments of social media platforms.

 It is incredibly unfathomable how far the minds of political mischief makers can go in attempt to smear the image of their perceived opponents.

What led to the jaundiced regurgitation of the unfounded groundnuts for empowerment narrative was the gifting of a motorbike to a young man at Ubiaja by Senator Ikpea in his usual flair for alleviating the plight of people in distress.

There is this young man at Ubiaja in Esan South - East Local Government Area of Edo State and one of Senator Ikpea's constituents who uses his motorbike to earn a living by using it to entertain people at ceremonies and large gatherings. The man entertains with his motorbike at events, while attendees at such events appreciate him with money which has been his chosen means of livelihood.

However, a few weeks to the 2025 annual December holidays when Esan people normally troop home in their numbers for various celebrations where the young man usually entertains with his motorbike, it was, unfortunately, said to have broken down . This means his source of livelihood has broken down. After searching for a solution, he decided to approach Senator Ikpea for assistance.

And Ikpea's avowed commitment to youth employment and his philosophy of teaching people to fish rather than gifting them fish, Senator Ikpea decided to replace the damaged motorbike with a new one to enable him fend for himself and provide for his family. This gesture is not the Senator's empowerment programme for Edo Central Senatorial District as that is still being planned, having resumed in the Senate less than four months now.

BELOW IS SENATOR JOSEPH IKPEA'S 100 DAYS IN OFFICE MESSAGE 

MY 100 DAYS OF SERVICE: A HEARTFELT THANK YOU

My dear people of Edo Central Senatorial District,

As I mark my first 100 days in office as your Senator, my heart is filled with gratitude. I say thank you for your trust, your prayers, and your constant support.

These 100 days have been a time of listening, learning, and working. I have carried your hopes with a deep sense of duty, knowing that leadership is not about titles, but about service to the people.

Together, we have begun a journey focused on empowerment, inclusion, and people-oriented development. While much more remains to be done, I assure you that every step I take is guided by your welfare and the future of our children.

I remain committed to being a Senator who is accessible, responsible, and fully dedicated to the progress of Edo Central.

Thank you for standing with me.

Thank you for believing.

The journey has just begun.

 Senator Dr, Ikpea Joseph.

Senator, Represent Edo Central Senatorial District Edo State.

Now my question is, would Senator Joseph Ikpea have looked the other way and declined the young man's request because he has not commenced his Senatorial empowerment programs? Should this be why Senator Joseph Ikpea is being denigrated on social media platforms by hatchet men?. This is absolutely preposterous. This is wrong, no matter how you look at it. These falacious fabrications only serve to obfuscate the truth and distract from the substantive issues at hand, revealing a troubling lack of integrity.

In his previous private and public engagements, Senator Ikpea has never left anyone in doubt of his sincerity of purpose while consistently demonstrating commitment to improving the lives of his constituents. His track record as a local government chairman and as commissioner in the Godwin Obaseki's administration is a demonstration of his dedication to grassroots development. He has championed projects that improved rural roads, expanded healthcare access, and supported education.

Senator Ikpea's vision for Edo Central is centered around economic empowerment, particularly for women and youth. He has launched initiatives to provide skills acquisition, entrepreneurship support, and job placement opportunities. His goal is to transform the region into a hub of skilled labor, entrepreneurial activities, and economic opportunities.

The recently launched skills acquisition initiative in collaboration with the Federal Co-operative College, Orji-River which has effectively and

successfully carried out a training and empowerment programme for women and youths which took place in Ekpoma (Esan West LGA) and Irrua (Esan Central LGA) and to be replicated throughout the entire district of Edo Central including the distribution of over 50 industrial sewing machines, laptops, and engineering kits to artisans across the five local government areas that make up Edo Central and also scholarships awards and strategic job placements and the distribution of thousands of bags of rice and other food stuff during this last Christmas, all within his 100 days in office is indicative of his commitment to the development of the district. 

 

There is no gain- saying the fact that Senator Ikpea is a well-known philanthropist of many years standing. Long before becoming a Senator, his life has been dedicated to service of the less privileged and it is therefore both 

 disingenuous and misleading for anyone to characterize his sincere intentions as ulterior motives and so the fabrications serve only to discombobulate the truth and distract from the undisputable fact that Senator Joseph Ikpea has made tremendous impact in philanthropy and has and will continue to impact his constituents in diverse ways.

To distort the age long genuine philanthropic giant strides of Ikpea for any mischievous gain is a profound irresponsibility that undermines the very fabric of our collective aspiration. We must therefore champion a discourse grounded in respect and truth, not one shaped by opportunistic misinformation and misrepresentations sponsored to smear the impeccable image of an individual whose track record demonstrates concerted efforts to improve the livelihood of his constituents 

We must be responsible enough to protect society by ensuring that we prevent such individuals from elevating the culture of fabricated falsehoods, vulgarity and logical fallacies to the status of national behavior and acceptance hence the need for this opinion.

Let us allow the opportunity of this piece serve to urge us all to imbibe the culture of appreciating our own. It is unfortunate that some of us have developed the habit of "Pull Him Down" syndrome (PHD) towards our elected and appointed representatives. While I am not saying that there's no room for improvement on the performance of Esan elected representatives across board, but let me say that Esan elected representatives and appointees from inception through the pre independence era to the present democratic dispensation have given a good account of themselves. They also need our support and prayers to succeed. When they succeed, it is for the general good of all, so let's not wish them failure rather lets wish them well and pray for them to excell in their representation of our communities. Esan is great and will continue to be great. ESAN O YEE.

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