TheNewsGuru

Tag: Military Governor

  • JUST IN: Ex-Military Gov, Administrator of Oyo, Ekiti States, Gen Adetunji Olurin is dead

    JUST IN: Ex-Military Gov, Administrator of Oyo, Ekiti States, Gen Adetunji Olurin is dead

    The former military governor and administrator of Oyo and Ekiti States, General Adetunji Idowu Olurin is reportedly dead at 76.

    The septuagenarian, born on December 3, 1944, was an indigene of Ilaro, in Ogun State.

    A family source who does not want his name mentioned said Olurin died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) early Saturday morning.

    Details about his death were still sketchy at the time of filing this report.

    Olurin had his primary education at Christ Church School, Ilaro from 1951 -54; St. Paul’s School, Odo-Ona, Ibadan, 1955-57 and Local Government Authority Modern School, 1958.

    He also attended Egbado College, Ilaro, 1959-64, Technical College (now The Polytechnic), Ibadan, 1966.

    Olurin, a former governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun State, attended the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, 1967-70; School of Infantry, Quetta, Pakistan,1973; Army Command and Staff College, Jaji, 1977-78.

    He was also at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, 1989. He was appointed Battalion Commander, 1970-71; Brigade Major 1972-74; Instructor, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, 1974; Defence Adviser, Nigerian High Commission India, 1975-77.

    Olurin was General Staff Officer I, Operations, Army Headquarters, Lagos, 1980-82; Colonel General Staff, Nigerian School of Infantry, 1982; Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, 1983-84; Commander, I Mechanised Infantry Brigade, 1984-85; appointed Military Governor, OyoState, 1985- 88; Director of Logistics, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Lagos, August 1988 – January 1989; Passed StaffCollege (PSC), 1978; National Decoration: Forces Service Star (1155); Foreign Decoration: United Nations Peace Medal (UNIFIL), 1979.

    He was married to Kehinde Oyeleye in 1975, with two sons.

  • Ex-Jigawa Military Governor, Brig Gen Aliyu is dead

    Ex-Jigawa Military Governor, Brig Gen Aliyu is dead

    A former military Governor of Jigawa State, Brigadier General Ibrahim Aliyu (rtd), is dead.

    His death was confirmed on Saturday in a statement by Habibu Nuhu Kila, the Special Adviser Media and Public Relations to Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

    According to the statement, the General died in Kaduna on Friday.

    The statement reads in part: “His Excellency, Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar MON, mni, of Jigawa State with utter sadness, announced the death of a former Military Administrator of Jigawa State, Brigadier General Ibrahim Aliyu rtd., who died yesterday Friday in Kaduna.”

    The Governor who stated that the late General had sacrificed his life for the service of humanity, also described the death as a big loss to the people of the state.

    The deceased was a military governor of the state from December 1993 to August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

  • First Lagos Military Governor, Mobolaji Johnson is dead

    Brigadier General Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson, first Military Governor of Lagos State is dead.

    His son, Deji, confirmed that the retired soldier passed on few hours ago.

    Johnson was born on February 9, 1936 to the family of Joshua Motola Johnson and his wife, Gbemisola Johnson (née Dudley-Coker), his father was of Egba heritage and was a member of the Royal West African Frontier Force during World War II. His grandfather’s last name was previously Osholero but he changed it to Johnson after the priest who converted him to Christianity.

    The Johnson family moved to Lagos during the early parts of the twentieth century. Johnson had five other siblings including his brother, Femi Johnson, founder of Femi Johnson and Company of Ibadan. Mobolaji Johnson started his education at Reagean Memorial Baptist School, Yaba, Methodist School in 1941. He then attended Hussey College, Warri, 1954. In 1955, he moved to Methodist Boys High School Lagos, the School his father attended, where he finished his secondary education in 1957. While in MBHS, Lagos, Mobolaji was a good all-round sports man.

    In 1959 Mobolaji attended the Officer Cadet Training School in Ghana. Mobolaji Johnson also attended the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, United Kingdom, between 1960-1961.

    At the end of the famed Biafra War, Mobolaji Johnson was among the federal delegates at the end of the war ceremony. In 1966, after the abortive coup d’etat that put paid to the first Nigerian civilian administration, he became Military Administrator of Lagos State. In 1967 he became the First Governor of Lagos State. Mobolaji’s tenure as Military Governor of Lagos State saw the building of major infrastructure in Lagos State.

    Johnson was first appointed by Aguiyi-Ironsi as the administrator the former federal territory of Lagos in 1966. Ironsi was the head of state and wanted someone from Lagos to handle some of the problems of the federal territory. In May 1967, Lagos State was created and Johnson became the first governor of Lagos; the state was now composed of the old Federal Territory of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lagos Island plus the additions of Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu and Ikeja divisions.

    He was involved in developing the civil service in Lagos State. Johnson was initially assisted in running the state with help from some key civil servants such as Administrative Secretary, Adeyemi-Bero, Finance Secretary, Folarin Coker, and the acting secretary to the Military Government, Howson Wright and waited until April 1968 before appointing his commissioners.

    In 1975 at the inception of the then Gen Murtala Mohammed administration, Mobolaji Johnson was one of the two state Governors (along with the then Brig Oluwole Rotimi) found not guilty of corruption by the three-man panel commissioned to investigate the various allegations of corruption among the State Governors.

    Johnson retired from the Nigerian Army in 1975 and went into private business. He has four children, three sons and a daughter.

     

     

  • Okowa mourns as ex-Bendel Military Governor dies at 80

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Thursday condoled with the government and people of Nassarawa State as well as the Nigerian Navy over the death of a former military governor of defunct Bendel State, retired Vice Admiral Husaini Abdullahi.
    In a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Aniagwu, in Asaba, Okowa commiserated with family and friends of the deceased and the people of Doma local government of Nassarawa state.
    Okowa said the sacrifices and good-heartedness of the former governor would always be remembered, most remarkably in his contributions to the growth and development of the present-day Delta State.
    He noted that Vice Admiral Abdullahi dedicated his life to the service of the nation which was exemplified by his exceptional career in the military and business world culminating in his emergence as Chairman of defunct Inland Bank upon retirement.
    “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of his passing. He was a remarkable officer and a man with strong will and character whose wise counsel will be sorely missed by those his life influenced tremendously.
    “On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I mourn the exit of a fine officer and elder statesman, Vice Admiral Husaini Abdullahi (rtd).
    “My profound condolences to the family, the government and people of Nassarawa state as well as the Nigerian Navy where He had a brilliant career.
    “I pray Almighty God to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and comfort all who mourn his demise.”