Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey

Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey
De Facto 2nd Vice President of Nigeria
In office July 29, 1966 – July 29, 1975
President	Yakubu Gowon
Preceded by	Brig. Babafemi Ogundipe
Succeeded by	Brig. Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief of Naval Staff
In office 1964–1973
Preceded by	Commodore A.R. Kennedy
Succeeded by	Vice Adm. N.B. Soroh
Personal details
Nationality	Nigerian
Political party	None (military)
Military service
Allegiance	Nigeria
Service/branch	Nigerian Navy
Years of service	1940-1975

Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey was a Nigerian naval officer who served, at various times, as head of the Nigerian Navy (i.e. Chief of Naval Staff),^[1] acting Foreign Minister,^[2] and Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters,^[3] making him the de facto Vice President of Nigeria during Yakubu Gowon's regime.

Born in Calabar in March 1918 to a Yoruba father and an Ibibio/Efik mother, Admiral Wey had his early education in Calabar, Cross River State and at Methodist School, Ikot Ekpene in present Akwa Ibom State; and further education in Lagos. He joined the Marine Department as a cadet and engineer in training around 1940. At the end of his training in 1945, he served in all sea-going vessels in the Marine Department. When the Navy was established in 1956, he was transferred to the Navy as a sub-lieutenant. In 1962, he was appointed as the commanding officer of base and naval officer in charge of Apapa, Lagos. In 1966, he was appointed as the Federal Commissioner of Establishment and he became a member of the federal Executive Council. He was promoted to various ranks and to the final rank of vice-admiral.

His military ranks were:

• Marine engineer, 1950
• Sub-lieutenant and engineer, 1956
• Lieutenant, 1958
• Lieutenant commander, 1960
• Captain, 1963
• Commodore, 1964
• Rear-admiral, 1967
• Vice-admiral, 1971

He was retired in 1975 following the successful coup that brought Murtala Mohammed ^[3] to power, replacing the military government of General Yakubu Gowon. He died 12 December 1990.^[4]

References

Vice Presidents of Nigeria Babafemi Ogundipe† Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey† Olusegun Obasanjo† Shehu Musa Yar'Adua† Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme Tunde Idiagbon† Ebitu Ukiwe† Augustus Aikhomu† Oladipo Diya†a Mike Akhigbe† Atiku Abubakar Goodluck Jonathan Namadi Sambo Yemi Osinbajo † military