Sam Mbakwe
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| Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe | |
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Governor of Imo State
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| In office October 1, 1979 – December 31, 1983 |
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| Born | Unknown/unrecorded Obowu |
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| Died | January 5, 2004 Avutu, Obowu LGA |
| Political party | Nigerian People's Party (NPP) |
| Spouse | Florence Nwaevuru, later Victoria Aheilepeya |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Samuel "Sam" Onunaka Mbakwe (died January 5, 2004)[1] was an Igbo politician and governor of Imo State, southern Nigeria from October 1, 1979[1] until December 31, 1983.[2] The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, which is located in Owerri, the state capital, was renamed after him.[3]
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[edit] Early life and education
Mbakwe began his education in 1937 at Avutu Primary School;his contemporaries include The Reverend Canon Jerimiah Anyanwu, the first Anglican priest in the old Etiti Local Government Area of Imo State, who was born at about the same time with him in Avutu. He studied at the Teachers Training College, Oleh, Isoko, from 1946 to 1947, and at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone in 1952.[1] He moved on to the University of Manchester (1953-1956), the University of Hull (1956-1958), and finally the school run by the Inns of Court (1958-1959), all in England, before returning to Nigeria to practice law in Port Harcourt, Eastern Region.[1] Mbakwe served in the army of the Republic of Biafra,[2] an Igbo secessionist state in southeastern Nigeria, during the 1967-1970 Civil War.
[edit] Political career
Mbakwe joined the Constituent Assembly in 1978 and became governor on October 1 of the next year. One of the main priorities of his administration was to improve Imo State's roads.[1] He was reelected, but his second term was interrupted by General Muhammadu Buhari's military coup of December 31, 1983, which brought about the end of the Second Republic. Described as "controversial,"[1] he said the following about politicians September 1995: "If you have not been in prison before, that will be your baptism and qualification. You will learn from the prison yard that not all those in detention are criminals."[1]
Mbakwe earned the nickname "the weeping governor" for crying while trying to convince the federal government to pay more attention to his state; the first occasion of his famed tears was the Ndiegoro flood in Aba, which was then a part of Imo State[2]. He had invited President Shehu Shagari to witness the destruction done by the floods, and it was said that he was moved to tears while conducting the president around the disaster area. His January 6, 2004 death in Avutu, Obowo Local Government Area, came after sickness which had set on in February 2002 and occurred shortly after a state-sponsored trip to Germany for treatment.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Obibi, Collins; Fred Okoror and Charles Ogugbuaja (2004-01-08). Mbakwe, ex-Imo governor, dies at 73. The Guardian Online. Guardian Newspapers Limited. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- ^ a b c Ajaero, Chris (2003-05-11). Forgotten Hero. Newswatch Online. Newswatch Communications Limited. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ Anthony, Jane (2007-02-27). Port Harcourt Airport: Much Ado About A Closure. Independent Online. Independent Newspapers Limited. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
[edit] External links
- Nwajiuba, Chinedum (2007-09-16). Okigwe and Imo Governorship 2007. Vanguard Online. Vanguard Media Limited. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
