He exudes a presence that is larger than life anywhere he appears. Ambassador Chief Kem Ajieh is 65, and it calls for all-round celebration of a philanthropist who lives his life for others.
Chief Kem Ajieh who is adulated as Toomuchmoney makes things happen anytime, anywhere, no matter the odds. He is like a charge of electricity emitting soft light to all and sundry.
Ambassador Kem Ajieh has paid his dues, and he is today reaping the rewards of a life well-lived in the service of humankind. Our paths crossed towards the end of the millennium at Nduka Obaigbena’s trailblazing magazine THISWEEK. He was the go-getter then known as Kem Ajieh Jr. He was hailed as “The Best” for always bringing good advertising money into the coffers of the colourful magazine. He was also known by another sobriquet: “The Master Space Broker.”
In his high-flying pitch, the unstoppable Kem Ajieh always said to me: “The Poet, give me 40 pages of purple prose and I will supply you with 60 pages of adverts.”
Trust Kem Ajieh to always deliver. Just like the golden fish that has no hiding place, he was so much sought after. It did not take much time for him to become larger than the Lagos scene, and he had to relocate to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as an ambassador-at-large.
It was in character for Abuja to welcome Kem Ajieh with wide open arms. The adulation rose up to the heights of the rocks as the potentates roared in ovation: “Toomuchmoney!”
Ambassador Chief Kem Ajieh was born on July 9, 1960. He ranks high as a lionized son of Utagba-Uno in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State. A gifted student, he took his first degree in Political Science and topped it up with the M.Sc. in Political Economy from the esteemed University of Abuja.
An irrepressible workaholic, he is rated in enlightened quarters as the papa of political science. It’s incumbent on him to take a bow as an articulate solver of hitherto insurmountable political puzzles.
Chief Kem Ajieh distinguished himself whilst serving as SA to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He was Head, Store Management, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). He stood out as the Chief Protocol to former First Lady Dr Patience Jonathan. Ambassador Kem Ajieh served as a member of the 2011 Presidential inauguration Committee.
He’s deservedly influential as the much-consulted Spokesperson of the South-South/South-East Action Group, and excelled as the image of the PDP in Abuja.
He is the CEO/Owner of VIP Protocol Ltd, a niche company engaged in marketing and protocol services such as providing drivers and protocol officers for corporate organizations.
Ambassador Chief Kem Ajieh’s VIP Protocol Ltd carters to the protocol needs of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“We have been with DPR since 2009,” Kem Ajieh says, swivelling on his super-duper chair. “I own the best protocol service outfit in Abuja. Other corporate organizations and high profile individuals engage and cherish our services.”
The celebrated firm is adept at airport pick-and-drop and hotel reservation. The captain of industry hailed as Toomuchmoney by his many fans is easily one of the best dressed Nigerians in the limelight. It is quite understandable that a potentate known as Toomuchmoney has “Makingmoney” as one of his hobbies. His other hobbies are dancing and table tennis.
Recalling our earlier days in journalism in Lagos, Ambassador Chief Kem Ajieh laughs and says: “I have branched out from media brokerage to political economy.”
He is happily married to Anne Ngozi Kem-Ajieh from Ozubulu, Anambra State, and the marriage is blessed with six children, made up of four boys and two girls. He has six grandchildren, and counting.
His beloved daughter Oluchi Kem-Ajieh scored a stellar First Class in Finance with 4.86 GPA at the University of Lagos and made the ICAN chartered accountant breakthrough at age 19. His son Kem Ajieh-Ikechukwu is an esteemed actor and top model.
Let’s rise to toast to the great health of Ambassador Chief Kem Ajieh as he clocks 65.
Uzoatu is a writer and poet
