A Day To Interment, Dickson Mourns Ewhrudjakpor, Says A Good Man Has Gone

The passing of Dr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, fondly known to me as E-Lawrenzi, is a loss too profound to fully comprehend. December 11, 2025, will forever remain etched as one of the saddest days of my life. I was preparing to participate in the screening of ambassadorial nominees as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs when I received a distressing call about a medical emergency involving him. I immediately spoke with his aides and doctors, left abruptly, and returned home to monitor developments, until my worst fears were tragically confirmed.

Since that moment, my heart has been heavy. Beyond the immense loss to Bayelsa State and Nigeria, I have lost a dependable, loyal, and principled mentee – one who was deeply committed to the noble cause we pursue in public service: service to God and humanity, and, to ourselves, the least among us.

E-Lawrenzi was, without a doubt, the finest among my political mentees. He possessed a rare and remarkable combination of competence, intellect, loyalty, selflessness, and moral conviction, all of which he consistently deployed for the common good. He lived a simple life with a profound impact – formidable in intellect, learned, emotionally stable, mature, and unwavering in his principles. He consistently proved himself, especially during challenging times, as a politician of deep conviction, shaped by years of mentorship and guided by an unwavering moral compass.

Our journey together began in the 1990s, when he was a union activist and I was a legal practitioner and solicitor to his union in their fight for recognition. I took him under my wing, and through our interactions, he was inspired to pursue further education. He studied Law after his first degree and eventually earned a doctorate, even while serving as a very busy public servant. When I became Attorney-General, he served as my Special Assistant and was also appointed to the State Capital Development Authority by the then Governor Goodluck Jonathan, upon my recommendation. When I was elected to the House of Representatives, he served as my Senior Legislative Aide. As Governor, he diligently served as Commissioner for Works for almost eight years, anchoring the foundation and infrastructural turnaround of Bayelsa State. He dedicated himself tirelessly to the execution of landmark projects, even during periods of severe economic recession. I later supported him in his successful bid to contest and win the Senate seat for Bayelsa West Senatorial District, a seat I now occupy. Subsequently, I backed both him and the current Governor, then Senators, as our party’s candidates for Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively.

As Deputy Governor, E-Lawrenzi remained dutiful, loyal, and steadfast to the very end. He stood firm even when it came at great personal cost. When circumstances unfairly forced him to choose between office and loyalty, respect, and gratitude, he chose principle and endured much for that choice during almost six years of service, without complaint. He embodied an open-door policy and a life of dedicated service, touching countless lives without ever betraying his values or his relationships. He was always receptive to counsel and guidance.

I was recently reminded of our long journey together when I saw photographs from 1998, at the dawn of Nigeria’s return to democratic politics. We had just attended a meeting convened by Justice Ephraim Akpata, pioneer chairman of INEC, following the lifting of the ban on political activities by the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar administration. We were representing the Nigerian Youth Democratic Alliance, a movement I founded with some friends, with E-Lawrenzi manning the Secretariat – files in hand, already displaying the diligence and commitment that would define his life.

He stood by me through the formation of the Bayelsa Progressives Movement in 2000, the Alliance for Democracy, the ANPP, and finally the PDP. From those early days, he blossomed beyond imagination – resourceful, brilliant, hardworking, humble, selfless, principled, and loyal, generously sharing himself and all he had with others.
HSD