Harris Eghagha

Harris Otadafevwerha Deodemise Eghagha
Governor of Ogun State
In office
July 1978 – October 1979
Preceded by Saidu Ayodele Balogun
Succeeded by Olabisi Onabanjo
Personal details
Born 8 March 1934
Okpe LGA, Delta State, Nigeria
Died 19 March 2009

Brigadier General Harris Otadafevwerha Deodemise Eghagha was appointed Military Governor of Ogun State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, handing over power to the elected governor Olabisi Onabanjo at the start of the Nigerian Second Republic.[1]

Eghagha was born on 8 March 1934 in Mureje, Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State.[2]

Eghagha played a minor role in the January 1966 coup that overthrew the Nigerian First Republic and brought in the military regime of Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, as a second lieutenant in charge of a roadblock in Kaduna.[3] His achievements while governor of Ogun State included building the legislative quarters and the road network in Abeokuta, the state capital.[4] He built and commissioned the Ogun State Hotel, Abeokuta, established industrial estates throughout the State and founded the Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic) in Abeokuta.[2] He also served as Acting Governor of Sokoto and Kwara States, and was Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana.[2]

Brigadier Harris Eghagha died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on 19 March 2009, aged 75.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Nigeria States". WorldStatesmen. http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
  2. ^ a b c "FORMER OGUN MILAD LAID TO REST". Ogun State News Board. http://ogunstate.gov.ng/newsedited/?q=node/231. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
  3. ^ Max Siollun (2009). Oil, politics and violence: Nigeria's military coup culture (1966-1976). Algora Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0875867081. 
  4. ^ a b "Daniel, Utuama mourn Eghagha, Ogun first military administrator". The Guardian. March 20, 2009. http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article19//indexn3_html?pdate=200309&ptitle=Daniel,%20Utuama%20mourn%20Eghagha,%20Ogun%20first%20military%20administrator&cpdate=200309. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
State Governors in Nigeria during the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime (13 February 1976 – 1 October 1979)