Aper Aku
Encyclopedia
Aper Aku was elected governor of Benue State
, Nigeria
in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, leaving office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
Local Government Area, Benue State.
He was of Tiv
origin.
He attended Government College, Keffi
from 1952 to 1957, and the Nigeria College of Arts and Science (later Ahmadu Bello University
) from 1958 to 1961.
He studied for a degree at Fourah Bay University
, Sierra Leone
(1961 - 1964).
He became a teacher in 1964 at William Bristow Secondary School, Gboko
, and later taught at Bauchi Provincial Secondary School and Government Secondary School, Gombe
.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
(1965 - 1966) for a post-graduate Course in Education.
In 1968 he joined the Federal Government and worked with External Aid for Education and the Federal Ministry of Establishment.
He was Principal of the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna
(1970 - 1972) and a member of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan
(1972 - 1976).
In May 1974 and again in August 1974 Aku wrote to Joseph Dechi Gomwalk, Governor of Benue-Plateau State, accusing him of nepotism and financial wrong-doings, and filed affidavits to this effect. General Yakubu Gowon
dismissed the allegations at the time and ordered Aku's detention.
However, a probe initiated by Gowon's successor Murtala Mohammed
vindicated Aku, saying that the allegations were true.
Local Government Council (1977 - 1978). At the start of the Nigerian Second Republic
he was elected Governor of Benue State in 1978 on the National Party of Nigeria
(NPN) platform, and was re-elected in 1983.
Aku faced severe problems as Governor in a state with a long history of neglect, particularly in the southern area which was inhabited by minority groups.
However, the state has fertile land and plentiful rainfall, with great agricultural potential.
Aku encouraged mass agricultural production, and during his tenure the state produced bumper harvests of local crops such as yams, cassava, soya beans, cowpea, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, banana, mangoes and oranges.
The Government established a number of industries to produce fertilizer and process agricultural products, located close to the areas where the produce was grown.
Aku launched commercial enterprises such as the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi
. He initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in Makurdi.
He cancelled work on a large medical centre at Apir and instead began construction of seven cottage hospitals in different locations.
He established two Teachers Colleges at Oju and Makurdi and the University of Technology in Makurdi. He embarked on an ambitious program to expand the number of Secondary Schools.
He built roads in Makurdi township and provided the street lights, awarded the contract for the Art Council Complex and started work on the Makurdi stadium.
took power in a coup, and replaced the civilian governors with military officers.
When Aku was removed from office the state's finances were severely overdrawn.
Many of the projects he had begun were later abandoned by the later military governors, and agricultural production plunged.
The elaborate water supply schemes that Aku had initiated was abandoned, and the infrastructure that had been built was not maintained.
Buhari jailed Aku and most of the other Governors, setting up military tribunals to investigate their conduct while in office.
Aku's health was broken by the harsh conditions in jail, and he died in 1988 shortly after being released.
Aku left two wives and four children.
At a 2008 press conference to mark the anniversary of his death, the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) leader in the state noted that 70% of important projects in Benue State today were started or completed during the four years of the Aku administration.
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
, Nigeria
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...
in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, leaving office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
Background
Aper Aku was born in 1938 in Ikyobo, UshongoUshongo
Ushongo is a Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Lessel.It has an area of 1,228 km² and a population of 188,341 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 982....
Local Government Area, Benue State.
He was of Tiv
Tiv
Tiv are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. They constitute approximately 2.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5.6 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Tiv language is spoken by about 6...
origin.
He attended Government College, Keffi
Keffi
Keffi is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Keffi.It has an area of 138 km² and a population of 92,664 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 961.- Education :...
from 1952 to 1957, and the Nigeria College of Arts and Science (later Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University is the largest university in Nigeria and second largest in Africa, second only to Cairo University, Egypt. It is situated in Zaria. It was founded on October 4, 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria....
) from 1958 to 1961.
He studied for a degree at Fourah Bay University
Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
(1961 - 1964).
He became a teacher in 1964 at William Bristow Secondary School, Gboko
Gboko
Gboko is a town in the Benue State of North-central Nigeria. The population is over 500,000, mostly Tiv people. It is the traditional capital of the Tiv tribe and it has the official residence of the Tor-Tiv, who is the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv people spread in Benue, Taraba, Plateau...
, and later taught at Bauchi Provincial Secondary School and Government Secondary School, Gombe
Gombe, Nigeria
Gombe is a city in northeastern Nigeria . It is the capital city of Gombe State and has an estimated population of 261,536. The city is the headquarters of the Gombe Emirate, a traditional state that covers most of Gombe State...
.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Zaria
Zaria may refer to:*Zaria, a city in Kaduna State, Nigeria*Zaria , or Zoria, the Slavic goddess of beauty*Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, a member of the Dutch royal family...
(1965 - 1966) for a post-graduate Course in Education.
In 1968 he joined the Federal Government and worked with External Aid for Education and the Federal Ministry of Establishment.
He was Principal of the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
(1970 - 1972) and a member of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan
University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan is the oldest Nigerian university, and is located five miles from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria...
(1972 - 1976).
In May 1974 and again in August 1974 Aku wrote to Joseph Dechi Gomwalk, Governor of Benue-Plateau State, accusing him of nepotism and financial wrong-doings, and filed affidavits to this effect. General Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
dismissed the allegations at the time and ordered Aku's detention.
However, a probe initiated by Gowon's successor Murtala Mohammed
Murtala Mohammed
General Murtala Ramat Mohammed born was a military ruler of Nigeria from 1975 until his assassination in 1976.-Role during 1960s coups:...
vindicated Aku, saying that the allegations were true.
Political career
Aper Aku was Chairman of KwandeKwande
Kwande is a Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Adikpo.It has an area of 2,891 km² and a population of 248,697 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 982....
Local Government Council (1977 - 1978). At the start of the Nigerian Second Republic
Nigerian Second Republic
The Second Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 governed by the second republican constitution.- Founding :...
he was elected Governor of Benue State in 1978 on the National Party of Nigeria
National Party of Nigeria
The National Party of Nigeria was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic .-Formation:The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigerian leaders after the proscription of political parties in 1966 by the military...
(NPN) platform, and was re-elected in 1983.
Aku faced severe problems as Governor in a state with a long history of neglect, particularly in the southern area which was inhabited by minority groups.
However, the state has fertile land and plentiful rainfall, with great agricultural potential.
Aku encouraged mass agricultural production, and during his tenure the state produced bumper harvests of local crops such as yams, cassava, soya beans, cowpea, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, banana, mangoes and oranges.
The Government established a number of industries to produce fertilizer and process agricultural products, located close to the areas where the produce was grown.
Aku launched commercial enterprises such as the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi
Makurdi
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State in Nigeria. The city is located in central Nigeria along the Benue river bank and was the base for the Nigerian Air Force's MiG 21 and SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft squadrons...
. He initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in Makurdi.
He cancelled work on a large medical centre at Apir and instead began construction of seven cottage hospitals in different locations.
He established two Teachers Colleges at Oju and Makurdi and the University of Technology in Makurdi. He embarked on an ambitious program to expand the number of Secondary Schools.
He built roads in Makurdi township and provided the street lights, awarded the contract for the Art Council Complex and started work on the Makurdi stadium.
Last years
On 31 December 1983 General Muhammadu BuhariMuhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
took power in a coup, and replaced the civilian governors with military officers.
When Aku was removed from office the state's finances were severely overdrawn.
Many of the projects he had begun were later abandoned by the later military governors, and agricultural production plunged.
The elaborate water supply schemes that Aku had initiated was abandoned, and the infrastructure that had been built was not maintained.
Buhari jailed Aku and most of the other Governors, setting up military tribunals to investigate their conduct while in office.
Aku's health was broken by the harsh conditions in jail, and he died in 1988 shortly after being released.
Aku left two wives and four children.
At a 2008 press conference to mark the anniversary of his death, the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) leader in the state noted that 70% of important projects in Benue State today were started or completed during the four years of the Aku administration.