Akintunde Aduwo
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral Akintunde Aduwo was a Military Governor of the Nigeria
n Western State
from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed.
Later he became Chief of Naval Staff.
, Ondo State
.
He attended Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos
(1952–1956).
He worked as a clerk, then as a cadet in the Merchant Marines where he obtained British Merchant Navy Sea Training (1958–1960) and studied at the Liverpool College of Technology, Liverpool
, England
(1961–1962).
In November 1962 Aduwo transferred to Nigerian Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant.
He was appointed Naval Officer-in-Charge of the Eastern Naval Patrol, then as a Lieutenant took command of NNS Aanasa in 1964. His other appointments include first Commanding Officer of NNS Dorina, first Nigerian Director of Armament Supply and Commanding Officer of NNS Nigeria.
During the Nigerian Civil War
, Lt. Commander Akin Aduwo commanded NNS Ogoja. During the sea battle that led to the fall of Bonny
in July 1967 he pursued the NNS Ibadan, which had been hijacked to Biafra
.
Aduwo was Military Governor of Western State for just one month, and then was posted to the Nigerian High Commission in India.
He was replaced by Colonel David Jemibewon.
General Olusegun Obasanjo said he Aduwo had been relieved of his appointment as governor to rescue him from the problem of the West "which had overwhelmed him".
Aduwo went for a course at the Indian National Defence College, and in 1977 was promoted Commodore and appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Nigerian Naval Flotilla.
He held this position until being appointed Chief of the Naval Staff on 15 April 1980 during the Shehu Shagari
regime.
As Chief of Naval Staff, Aduwo renamed NNS Beecroft to NNS Olokun
after the ocean goddess, as part of a trend to move from colonial-era names to local Nigerian names.
He became a leader of the Yoruba Unity Forum and attended several Yoruba Council of Elders meetings. He had served for several years as an elder of the Yoruba people
, holding the aristocratic
titles of the Oloye Obateru of Aye and the Oloye Taarelase of Ile-Ife.,
Aduwo was a delegate from Ondo State
at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference.
He served on the logistics committee of the conference.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Western State
Western State (Nigeria)
The former Western State of Nigeria was formed in 1967 when the Western Region was subdivided into the states of Lagos and Western State. Its capital was Ibadan, which was the capital of the old region....
from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed.
Later he became Chief of Naval Staff.
Early years
Akin Aduwo was born on 12 June 1938 in Ode-Aye in OkitipupaOkitipupa
Okitipupa is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Okitipupa, with a university that will commence academy in year 2010/2011 section: Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa ....
, Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
.
He attended Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
(1952–1956).
He worked as a clerk, then as a cadet in the Merchant Marines where he obtained British Merchant Navy Sea Training (1958–1960) and studied at the Liverpool College of Technology, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1961–1962).
In November 1962 Aduwo transferred to Nigerian Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant.
He was appointed Naval Officer-in-Charge of the Eastern Naval Patrol, then as a Lieutenant took command of NNS Aanasa in 1964. His other appointments include first Commanding Officer of NNS Dorina, first Nigerian Director of Armament Supply and Commanding Officer of NNS Nigeria.
During the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
, Lt. Commander Akin Aduwo commanded NNS Ogoja. During the sea battle that led to the fall of Bonny
Bonny
Bonny is a town and a Local Government Area in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria, on the Bight of Biafra. It was also the capital of the Kingdom of Bonny. Traditionally it was a major trading post of the eastern delta....
in July 1967 he pursued the NNS Ibadan, which had been hijacked to Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
.
Senior positions
Mustala Muhammed announced Captain Akin Aduwo's appointment as Governor in his maiden speech of 30 July 1975.Aduwo was Military Governor of Western State for just one month, and then was posted to the Nigerian High Commission in India.
He was replaced by Colonel David Jemibewon.
General Olusegun Obasanjo said he Aduwo had been relieved of his appointment as governor to rescue him from the problem of the West "which had overwhelmed him".
Aduwo went for a course at the Indian National Defence College, and in 1977 was promoted Commodore and appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Nigerian Naval Flotilla.
He held this position until being appointed Chief of the Naval Staff on 15 April 1980 during the Shehu Shagari
Shehu Shagari
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato served as the President of Nigeria's Second Republic , after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government....
regime.
As Chief of Naval Staff, Aduwo renamed NNS Beecroft to NNS Olokun
Olokun
Olokun is an Orisha in Yoruba religion, associated with the sea. Olokun is therefore considered the patron Orisa of the descendants of Africans that were carried away during the Transatlantic Slave Trade or Middle Passage, sometimes referred to in the United States by African-Americans as the Maafa...
after the ocean goddess, as part of a trend to move from colonial-era names to local Nigerian names.
Later career
After retirement, Aduwo contonued to be publicly active.He became a leader of the Yoruba Unity Forum and attended several Yoruba Council of Elders meetings. He had served for several years as an elder of the Yoruba people
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
, holding the aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
titles of the Oloye Obateru of Aye and the Oloye Taarelase of Ile-Ife.,
Aduwo was a delegate from Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference.
He served on the logistics committee of the conference.