Ernest Shonekan
Encyclopedia
Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (born 9 May 1936 in Lagos
, south-west Nigeria
) is a British
trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain
. He was appointed as interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida
on 26 August 1993. Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan's transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha
via Shonekan's "resignation" forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November. Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the Chief executive of United African Company of Nigeria PLC
(UAC), a large Nigerian conglomerate.
born civil servant, he was one of six children born into the family. Shonekan was educated at C.M.S grammar school
. He also attended and received a law degree from the University of London
and was later called to the bar. He soon joined U.A.C in 1964 and was sent to the Harvard Business School
for further managerial training. At U.A.C, he pursued a legal path, a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board. In 1980, he was made chairman and Chief Executive of U.A.C. In his early reign as head of U.A.C, he was the Chief Executive of the largest African controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
was pegged to include a 28 billion naira deficit with little money left in its foreign reserves. The government was hard pressed on his debt
obligations and had to hold constant talks for debt re-scheduling. Nevertheless, Shonekan was also in an enviable position. The Armed Forces Ruling Council had designed a realistic two year economic program. The program's outline called for reducing petrol subsidy which will bring in 65 billion naira to government coffers. A modification of VAT
was also in the works and a plan to inculcate fiscal discipline in the affairs of government. However, by the end of June, following the cancellation of the June 12 presidential elections, the Nigerian nation was engulfed in political turmoil. Fiscal discipline was not heeded and the government had exceeded his deficit target by the beginning of the second quarter. Calls for the exit of the President became much more prominent and, by August 1993, Babangida
had decided to step aside and install an Interim government to succeed him.
Oloye Shonekan assumed the office of President of Nigeria
on August 26, 1993. Babangida had decided to finally exit the stage and chose Shonekan as head, potentially due to him being a loyal ally of his. In the political and economic realm of life in the country, the nation was gradually moving towards a stalemate. Shonekan had lobbied fervently for debt cancellation during his reign as head of government, but after the cancellation of the June 12 elections, most of western powers had imposed sanctions on Nigeria. Inflation was uncontrollable and most non-oil foreign investment had disappeared. The political problems continued to pile for the Interim government, the winner of the June 12 elections, had vowed to oppose the interim government and most of the democracy supporters mostly in the southwest, Shonekan's region, saw him as an obstacle to a true path towards social justice
, democracy
and improving the welfare of the people. During his few months in power, he had tried to create a new timetable for democratic return, while his government was hampered by workers strike
. However, he sometimes presented a strong arm for major decisions. Shonekan's first major decision was to release political detainees and to set a timetable for troop withdrawal from ECOMOG's peacekeeping
mission in Liberia
. The government also initiated an audit of the accounts of NNPC, an organization that was mired in operational inefficiencies, and presented a bill for banning three major draconian decrees. However, his loose control of the military proved to be his achilles' heel
. The defense secretary who was appointed with other members of Shonekan's cabinet on August 26, 1993, took control of power in November 1993, just a few months into the administration.
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...
, south-west 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...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain
Chieftain
Chieftain may refer to:The leader or head of a group:* a tribal chief or a village head.* a member of the 'House of chiefs'.* a captain, to which 'chieftain' is etymologically related.* Clan chief, the head of a Scottish clan....
. He was appointed as interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
on 26 August 1993. Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan's transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
via Shonekan's "resignation" forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November. Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the Chief executive of United African Company of Nigeria PLC
United African Company of Nigeria PLC
For over a century, United Africa Company of Nigeria plc has distinguished itself as a major contributor to the Nigerian economy. Its areas of operation include manufacturing, services, logistics and warehousing, agricultural and real estate...
(UAC), a large Nigerian conglomerate.
Early life and education
Shonekan was born and raised in Lagos, the former Nigerian capital (now Abuja). The son of an AbeokutaAbeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
born civil servant, he was one of six children born into the family. Shonekan was educated at C.M.S grammar school
CMS Grammar School, Lagos
The CMS Grammar School in the Bariga district of Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, founded on 6 June 1859 by the Church Missionary Society...
. He also attended and received a law degree from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and was later called to the bar. He soon joined U.A.C in 1964 and was sent to the Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
for further managerial training. At U.A.C, he pursued a legal path, a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board. In 1980, he was made chairman and Chief Executive of U.A.C. In his early reign as head of U.A.C, he was the Chief Executive of the largest African controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Head of Transitional Council
Shonekan was a seasoned and proven businessman with wide contacts across the Nigerian landscape. However, his proven abilities, integrity and no visible political bias made him a prospective leader for Babangida's council of civilians-run government, a government which was in the midst of economic turmoil and would later find itself mired in a political crisis. On January 2, 1993, Shonekan assumed office as the head of government affairs under the leadership of military president, Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled hand over to an elected democratic leader. As the head of the council, he was exposed to the dire condition of government finances which continued under his reign. The 1993 budgetBudget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
was pegged to include a 28 billion naira deficit with little money left in its foreign reserves. The government was hard pressed on his debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
obligations and had to hold constant talks for debt re-scheduling. Nevertheless, Shonekan was also in an enviable position. The Armed Forces Ruling Council had designed a realistic two year economic program. The program's outline called for reducing petrol subsidy which will bring in 65 billion naira to government coffers. A modification of VAT
Vat
Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...
was also in the works and a plan to inculcate fiscal discipline in the affairs of government. However, by the end of June, following the cancellation of the June 12 presidential elections, the Nigerian nation was engulfed in political turmoil. Fiscal discipline was not heeded and the government had exceeded his deficit target by the beginning of the second quarter. Calls for the exit of the President became much more prominent and, by August 1993, Babangida
Babangida
Babangida is a Nigerian surname and may refer to:*Ibrahim Babangida, former military ruler of Nigeria*Maryam Babangida, former first lady of Nigeria*Three footballer brothers**Tijani Babangida , Nigerian footballer...
had decided to step aside and install an Interim government to succeed him.
Members
| The Shonekan Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| President President of Nigeria The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained... |
Earnest Shonekan | 1993-1993 |
| Defense | Sani Abacha Sani Abacha General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998.... |
1993-1993 |
| Agriculture | Jerry Gana Jerry Gana Jerry Gana is a Nigerian scholar, politician and former Minister for Information under Ernest Shonekan. He was the director of the Mass Mobilization for Social Justice and Economic Recovery, popularly known as MAMSER.... |
1993-1993 |
| Trade | Kuforiji Olubi Kuforiji Olubi Bola Kuforiji Olubi is a Nigerian noblewoman, banker and former federal minister of commerce. She is a former Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank of Africa, UBA. Kuforiji Olubi was one of the few high profile and successful women leaders when she became the secretary for commerce in 1993... |
1993-1993 |
| Communications | Dapo Sarumi Dapo Sarumi Dapo Sarumi is a Nigerian politician and former minister for Information. In 1991, he contested the SDP gubernatorial primary but was later dis-qualified.In late 2000, he was involved in a traffic accident and lost two of his ministerial aides.-References:... |
1993-1993 |
| Education | Abraham Imogie Abraham Imogie Abraham Inanoya Imogie is an Afemai Nigerian scholar and former secretary for Education in the short lived interim administration of Ernest Shonekan.... |
1993-1993 |
| Finance Finance Secretary R.S GUjaral is finance secretary of India .In India, the Permanent Secretary - level civil serBy default, the FS tends to be the seniormost of the five, where seniority is defined by the year of entry into the civil service and not age... |
Aminu Saleh Aminu Saleh Aminu Saleh is a Nigerian administrator, former Finance Minister, and permanent secretary in the Nigerian ministry of Defense. He became the chairman of the National Qu'ranic Recitation Committee in 2006.... |
1993-1993 |
| Abuja | Gado Nasko Gado Nasko Lieutenant General Muhammad Gado Nasko was the military governor of Sokoto State, Nigeria between 1978-1979.Nasko retired from the army in 1993 after a palace coup by his colleague Sani Abacha ushered in a new set of ministers... |
1989–1993 |
| Labor | Bola Afonja Bola Afonja Bola Afonja is a Nigerian politician. He was Minister for Labour under Ernest Shonekan and was once a member of the board of trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party .-References:... |
1993-1993 |
| Secretary of Power | Hassan Adamu | 1993-1993 |
| Health and Human Services |
Adelusi Adeluyi Adelusi Adeluyi Adelusi Adeluyi is a Nigerian pharmacist and former Minister for Health and Human Resources. He is the proprietor of Juli Pharmacy. He attended Aquinas College, Akure, for secondary education and studied pharmacy at the collegiate level. He was also a former chairman of the Nigerian-American... |
1993-1993 |
| Foreign Affairs | Matthew Mbu Matthew Mbu Matthew Tawo Mbu is a Nigerian lawyer, politician, diplomat, and a permanent fixture in Nigerian political affairs for more than fifty years... |
1993-1993 |
| Interior | E.S Yusufu | 1993-1993 |
| Transportation | Bashir Dalhatu | 1993-1993 |
| Energy | Donald Etiebet Donald Etiebet Chief Donald Dick Etiebet is a Nigerian politician who was a senator during the Nigerian Second Republic .He was then elected governor of Cross River State, holding this office from October to December 1983, when the military coup brought General Muhammadu Buhari into power.Etiebet was born in... |
1993–1995 |
| Industry | Chief Kogbara | 1993-1993 |
| Information | Uche Chukwumerije Uche Chukwumerije Uche Chukwumerije was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in April 2003, representing Abia North Senatorial District.... |
1993-1993 |
Oloye Shonekan assumed the office of President of Nigeria
President of Nigeria
The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
on August 26, 1993. Babangida had decided to finally exit the stage and chose Shonekan as head, potentially due to him being a loyal ally of his. In the political and economic realm of life in the country, the nation was gradually moving towards a stalemate. Shonekan had lobbied fervently for debt cancellation during his reign as head of government, but after the cancellation of the June 12 elections, most of western powers had imposed sanctions on Nigeria. Inflation was uncontrollable and most non-oil foreign investment had disappeared. The political problems continued to pile for the Interim government, the winner of the June 12 elections, had vowed to oppose the interim government and most of the democracy supporters mostly in the southwest, Shonekan's region, saw him as an obstacle to a true path towards social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and improving the welfare of the people. During his few months in power, he had tried to create a new timetable for democratic return, while his government was hampered by workers strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. However, he sometimes presented a strong arm for major decisions. Shonekan's first major decision was to release political detainees and to set a timetable for troop withdrawal from ECOMOG's peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
mission in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. The government also initiated an audit of the accounts of NNPC, an organization that was mired in operational inefficiencies, and presented a bill for banning three major draconian decrees. However, his loose control of the military proved to be his achilles' heel
Achilles' heel
An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.- Origin :In Greek...
. The defense secretary who was appointed with other members of Shonekan's cabinet on August 26, 1993, took control of power in November 1993, just a few months into the administration.