By Chido Nwakanma
I have been in shock since learning of the departure of my dear senior friend and professional colleague, the distinguished Mike Meze, on 15 December 2023.
Mr Meze was a public relations exemplar. Scratch that. Mr Meze worked across integrated marketing communication with knowledge and gravitas. He was deeply grounded and trained in the old UACN traditions.
I spent extensive periods with him in July and October 2022. He assisted as I did a recce to choose a venue for the FrontFoot Media Initiative Audit Reporting Workshop in Awka. He joined Uzor Mazim Uzoatu to support us by participating in the sessions.
Mike was gregarious. His voice rang out clearly on the phone or in real life. He would say, with cheer in his voice, “Greetings to you. I am Mike. Michael Obiajulu Mezeee. It is nice to meet you.” He then offers a firm handshake while maintaining direct eye contact.
MOM runs the engine room; I wrote in a birthday tribute, “Michael Obiajulu Meze remains imprinted in my consciousness as a client service impresario from his days at Promoserve Advertising. He mounted the most rigorous intellectual defence of a brand and category on behalf of the producers of monosodium glutamate. It was detailed and robust.
Mike Meze is cut from the finest cloth in this business. He served in the legendary public relations team of UACN. That team had a world-class definition of public relations captured in my forthcoming book. UACN defined public relations as “A continuous effort, on behalf of the organisation, to promote the best possible understanding of its policies, activities, and social attitudes among those who can influence its development.”
He earned his pips. He was a Fellow of NIPR. He was a registered practitioner in advertising. He marshalled the troops for the excellent management of the MTN account by Corporate & Financial PR agency. He contributed to the good works of Insight Communication.
He kept at personal improvement when he enrolled for the MBA at Business School Netherlands. Mike made his final marks with his Winning Concepts Public Relations.
In Awka, he worked closely with former Governor Willie Obiano as a client and friend. He served as a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obiano. Obiano has issued a statement mourning the departure of gentleman Mike Meze. He attested: “His work left a lasting impact not only on the people he worked with but also on the community as a whole.”
Winning Concepts Public Relations Limited has a strong reputation for its work with various clients across different sectors.
Meze was an advocate for ethical PR and spoke out against issues such as fake news and misinformation. He was a regular speaker at industry events and conferences, sharing his insights on PR trends and best practices. He wrote articles and columns for various publications, actively mentored young professionals, and supported the industry in Nigeria.
He shared ideas, information and news with his blog, SouthEast Revue. I checked and realised that the last post he sent on WhatsApp was on 12 November.
Oh, Mike! It was a privilege to know you. Fare thee well.
