Jim Nwobodo
Encyclopedia
James Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo (Jim Nwobodo) (born May 9, 1940) is a Nigeria
n businessman and politician who was governor of Anambra State
(1979–1983) during the Nigerian Second Republic
and was Senator for Enugu East in Enugu State
(1999–2003). In 2003, he ran unsuccessfully in the Nigerian Presidential elections.
, Nassarawa State.
He completed his secondary school education in 1956 at Government School, Awka
in what is now Anambra State, then attended St. Peter’s College, Zaria
(1956–1959).
He went on to on the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, first at Enugu
and then at Ibadan
, and then attended the University College Ibadan (1961–1964), earning a BA in English.
After graduation, Jim Nwobodo was employed as a tutor in the King's College, Lagos
(1964–1966). He then took a job in the Personnel department with the Shell Company of Nigeria (1966–1970). After the Nigerian Civil War
ended in 1970 he founded Link Group International, which grew to open branches in Lagos, Kano, Benin City, Aba, Calabar and Enugu. He also Chairman of Jimson International Al Cargo Agencies, Satellite Press Limited, and other companies.
As governor, Nwobodo established the Nike Lake hotel, Anambra State television, Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU)), the Ikenga Hotels, the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, Eha Amufu College of Education, Nsugbe College of Education and the Nkalagu Cement industry among other projects.
He ran for reelection in October 1983, but was defeated by Christian Onoh
of the National Party of Nigeria
(NPN). The election was marred by widespread intimidation, violence and vote-rigging.
took control in December 1983 he was imprisoned for a period. When Sani Abacha
came into power he was appointed a member of the constitutional commission. In 1995 he was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports. As the country moved towards democracy, he was a member of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP), the United Nigeria Congress Party
(UNCP) and later the Grassroots Democratic Movement
(GDM). He was a founding member of the People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
The Nigeria national football team, known as the Super Eagles, won the 1994 African Cup of Nations
in Tunisia
. The team members were each promised a 3-bedroom house as an award. On December 27, 1995, Jim Nwobodo wrote the team members that the Works & Housing Ministry had been directed for to release the houses immediately. In July 2009 houses were made available in Lagos and Abuja.
In October 2002 there was a crisis when the Enugu State House of Assembly split into two factions, one of which wanted to impeach Abel Chukwu, the original speaker of the House, who was believed to be a loyalist to Governor Chimaroke Nnamani
. Senator Jim Nwobodo moved the motion that the Federal House of Representatives should take over the affairs of the House.
During the 1998/1999 gubernatorial elections in Enugu State, Nwobodo had supported Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who was elected.
However, the two men fell out later.
Jim Nwobodo played a leading role in the unsuccessful effort to stop the 2003 re-election of Nnamani.
Towards the end of his Senate term, he temporarily transferred to the United Nigeria People's Party
(UNPP), running as a Presidential Candidate in the 2003 General elections.
His partner as vice-presidential candidate was Mohammed Goni
, former governor of Borno State
.
In June 2009 the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation
(NDIC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) restored the license of the Savannah Bank
, in which Jim Nwobodo holds a major stake, in compliance with a February 2009 Appeal Court ruling in Abuja
.
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 businessman and politician who was governor of Anambra State
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
(1979–1983) during 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 :...
and was Senator for Enugu East in Enugu State
Enugu State
Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka....
(1999–2003). In 2003, he ran unsuccessfully in the Nigerian Presidential elections.
Background
James Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo was born on 9 May 1940 in Agyaragu, LafiaLafia
Lafia is a town in central Nigeria. It is the capital city of Nasarawa State and has a population of 330,712 inhabitants according to the 2006 census results .It is the largest town in Nasarawa state.- History :...
, Nassarawa State.
He completed his secondary school education in 1956 at Government School, Awka
Awka
Awka is the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria with an estimated population of 301,657 Nigerian census. The city is located about 600 miles east of Lagos in the centre of the densely-populated Igbo heartland in southeastern Nigeria...
in what is now Anambra State, then attended St. Peter’s College, 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...
(1956–1959).
He went on to on the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, first at Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
and then at Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
, and then attended the University College Ibadan (1961–1964), earning a BA in English.
After graduation, Jim Nwobodo was employed as a tutor in the King's College, Lagos
King's College, Lagos
King's College, Lagos is a secondary school in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was founded on 20 September 1909 with 10 students on its original site at Lagos Island, adjacent to Tafawa Balewa Square. The school admits male students only, although there were some female HSC students before the...
(1964–1966). He then took a job in the Personnel department with the Shell Company of Nigeria (1966–1970). After 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...
ended in 1970 he founded Link Group International, which grew to open branches in Lagos, Kano, Benin City, Aba, Calabar and Enugu. He also Chairman of Jimson International Al Cargo Agencies, Satellite Press Limited, and other companies.
Governor of Anambra State
Jim Nwobodo joined the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and in October 1978 was elected NPP Chairman for the old Anambra State. He contested the 1979 elections and on 1 October, 1979 was sworn into office as the first executive Governor of Anambra State.As governor, Nwobodo established the Nike Lake hotel, Anambra State television, Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU)), the Ikenga Hotels, the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, Eha Amufu College of Education, Nsugbe College of Education and the Nkalagu Cement industry among other projects.
He ran for reelection in October 1983, but was defeated by Christian Onoh
Christian Onoh
Christian Onoh, popularly known as CC Onoh, was a Nigerian businessman and lawyer who became governor of Anambra State in 1983 at the end of the Nigerian Second Republic.. He was also the father in law to Colonel Ojukwu....
of 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). The election was marred by widespread intimidation, violence and vote-rigging.
Period of military rule
After the Military under 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 control in December 1983 he was imprisoned for a period. When 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....
came into power he was appointed a member of the constitutional commission. In 1995 he was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports. As the country moved towards democracy, he was a member of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, popularly known as SDP, was a political party created to encompass the ideals of a center left political organization. It was one of the products of a democracy project by former President Ibrahim Babangida to have two detribalized political parties, one a...
(SDP), the United Nigeria Congress Party
United Nigeria Congress Party
The United Nigeria Congress Party was a Nigerian political party that was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General Sani Abacha to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, in which it won many elections, and in parliamentary...
(UNCP) and later the Grassroots Democratic Movement
Grassroots Democratic Movement
The Grassroots Democratic Movement was a Nigerian political party that was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General Sani Abacha to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, and in parliamentary elections held in April 1998.The...
(GDM). He was a founding member of 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).
The Nigeria national football team, known as the Super Eagles, won the 1994 African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. The team members were each promised a 3-bedroom house as an award. On December 27, 1995, Jim Nwobodo wrote the team members that the Works & Housing Ministry had been directed for to release the houses immediately. In July 2009 houses were made available in Lagos and Abuja.
Senator
In April 1999, Jim Nwobodo was elected Senator for the Enugu East constituency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the PDP platform, taking office in May 1999. He was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Internal Affairs.In October 2002 there was a crisis when the Enugu State House of Assembly split into two factions, one of which wanted to impeach Abel Chukwu, the original speaker of the House, who was believed to be a loyalist to Governor Chimaroke Nnamani
Chimaroke Nnamani
Chimaroke Nnamani is a Nigerian politician from Enugu State. He was Governor of Enugu State from 1999 to 2007 and is currently a People's Democratic Party Senator for Enugu East.-Education:...
. Senator Jim Nwobodo moved the motion that the Federal House of Representatives should take over the affairs of the House.
During the 1998/1999 gubernatorial elections in Enugu State, Nwobodo had supported Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who was elected.
However, the two men fell out later.
Jim Nwobodo played a leading role in the unsuccessful effort to stop the 2003 re-election of Nnamani.
Towards the end of his Senate term, he temporarily transferred to the United Nigeria People's Party
United Nigeria People's Party
The United Nigeria People's Party is a political party in Nigeria.At the 12 April 2003 legislative elections the party won 2.8 % of popular votes, 2 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeria, and no seats in the Senate....
(UNPP), running as a Presidential Candidate in the 2003 General elections.
His partner as vice-presidential candidate was Mohammed Goni
Mohammed Goni
Alhaji Mohammed Goni is a retired civil servant who was Governor of Borno State, Nigeria in the Nigerian Second Republic.-Background:Mohammed Goni was born in 1942 in Kareto, Mobbar Local Government Area, Borno State....
, former governor of Borno State
Borno State
Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State...
.
Later career
In 2008, Jim Nwobodo headed an Action Committee on the South East to resolve factional struggles in the PDP in that area.In June 2009 the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation was established on 15 June 1988 to strengthen the safety net for the newly liberalized banking sector, following the recommendation of former Central Bank of Nigeria governor Ola Vincent...
(NDIC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria
Central Bank of Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria was established by the CBN Act of 1958 and commenced operations on July 1, 1959.The major regulatory objectives of the bank as stated in the CBN act of 1958 is to: issue legal tender, maintain the external reserves of the country, promote monetary stability and a sound...
(CBN) restored the license of the Savannah Bank
Savannah Bank
The Savannah Bank is a Nigerian bank whose license was withdrawn in February 2002 and restored in February 2009 after protracted legal battles....
, in which Jim Nwobodo holds a major stake, in compliance with a February 2009 Appeal Court ruling in Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
.