Moses Adasu
Encyclopedia
Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu (12 June 1945 - 20 November 2005) became governor of Benue State
, Nigeria
on 2 January 1992, elected on the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) platform. He left office after the military coup in November 1993 in which General Sani Abacha
came to power.
Local Government Area of Benue State.
He studied at St. James Junior Seminary Keffi (1966–1968).
He then attended St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
, an affiliate of the Propaganda Fide, (1969–1972), graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Divinity.
Later he studied at St. John's University, New York
(1975–1976), earning an M.A. degree, and then at Catholic University of America, Washington DC (1976–1978) where he gained a Masters of Religious Education.
Adasu was a Senior Inspector of Education at the Benue State Ministry of Education headquarters, Makurdi
. He also taught in Secondary and Teachers Colleges in Jos
, Otukpo
and Adikpo, and at the Colleges of Education in Akwanga
and Katsina-Ala
.
He was a member of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, the Benue State Prerogative of Mercy, the Advisory Council of the Episcopal Commission on African Tradition Religion, and the Board of Governors of the College of Education, Katsina-Ala.
He was Chairman of the Presbyteral Council, Dean of Makurdi Deanery, Diocese of Makurdi and Vicar-General, Diocese of Makurdi.
He was said to have had a positive impact on conditions during his two-tear term.
He founded Benue State University
on 27 December 1991.
He reactivated and upgraded the College of Education, Oju.
He conceived the concept of the Tarka Foundation, named after Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka and launched on 2 July 1992. The foundation's building occupies five hectares of land in Makurdi
and includes an art gallery, conference rooms, recreational centers and chalets.
The mandate of the foundation is unclear.
Other projects that he started included BENCO roof tile, and the K/Ala fruit juice company, but he was not able to achieve a great deal during his short period in office.
Adasu said that politics is not a dirty game, but those who are in it for selfish reasons make it dirty. He said "I am in politics to baptise politics and make it pure".
He was removed from office when General Sani Abacha
came to power in November 1993, replaced by Group Captain Joshua Obademi.
In the Nigerian Fourth Republic
Adasu was appointed a member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in January 1991.
He resigning from the ICPC in June 2002 to reenter politics.
As a member of the Alliance for Democracy
(AD) party he challenged the incumbent Governor George Akume
of the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) in the April 2003 gubernatorial elections.
He was not successful.
In September 2004 he was head of one of the National Convention Committees for the AD, after a factional split in the party caused by the return of former chairman Ahmed Abdulkadir.
Adasu died on 20 November 2005. After his death Benue State University conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Adasu.
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...
on 2 January 1992, elected on 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) platform. He left office after the military coup in November 1993 in which 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....
came to power.
Background
Adasu was born on 12 June 1945 at Mbaamena, near Awajir in Shangev-Tiev District of KonshishaKonshisha
Konshisha is a Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Tse-Agberagba.It has an area of 1,673 km² and a population of 225,672 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 971....
Local Government Area of Benue State.
He studied at St. James Junior Seminary Keffi (1966–1968).
He then attended St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
Jos
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
, an affiliate of the Propaganda Fide, (1969–1972), graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Divinity.
Later he studied at St. John's University, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1975–1976), earning an M.A. degree, and then at Catholic University of America, Washington DC (1976–1978) where he gained a Masters of Religious Education.
Adasu was a Senior Inspector of Education at the Benue State Ministry of Education headquarters, 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 also taught in Secondary and Teachers Colleges in Jos
Jos
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
, Otukpo
Otukpo
Otukpo is a town in Benue State, Nigeria located in the middle belt. Otukpo is the headquarters of the Otukpo Local Government Area. It was the headquarters of the former Idoma Province, and remains an important town in Idomaland, the area mainly populated by the Idoma speaking tribe, though with...
and Adikpo, and at the Colleges of Education in Akwanga
Akwanga
Akwanga is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Akwanga.It has an area of 996 km² and a population of 113,430 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 960....
and Katsina-Ala
Katsina-Ala
Katsina-Ala is a Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Katsina-Ala where the A344 highway starts...
.
He was a member of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, the Benue State Prerogative of Mercy, the Advisory Council of the Episcopal Commission on African Tradition Religion, and the Board of Governors of the College of Education, Katsina-Ala.
He was Chairman of the Presbyteral Council, Dean of Makurdi Deanery, Diocese of Makurdi and Vicar-General, Diocese of Makurdi.
Political career
Adasu was elected the second Executive Governor of Benue State on 2 January 1992.He was said to have had a positive impact on conditions during his two-tear term.
He founded Benue State University
Benue State University
Benue State University is a state-owned and operated university in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Its 2006 student enrollment was over 19,000 served by 429 faculty. It offers both undergraduate and graduate programs and has a catalog of fifty graduate programs across seven colleges...
on 27 December 1991.
He reactivated and upgraded the College of Education, Oju.
He conceived the concept of the Tarka Foundation, named after Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka and launched on 2 July 1992. The foundation's building occupies five hectares of land 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...
and includes an art gallery, conference rooms, recreational centers and chalets.
The mandate of the foundation is unclear.
Other projects that he started included BENCO roof tile, and the K/Ala fruit juice company, but he was not able to achieve a great deal during his short period in office.
Adasu said that politics is not a dirty game, but those who are in it for selfish reasons make it dirty. He said "I am in politics to baptise politics and make it pure".
He was removed from office when 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....
came to power in November 1993, replaced by Group Captain Joshua Obademi.
In the Nigerian Fourth Republic
Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999 it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple...
Adasu was appointed a member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in January 1991.
He resigning from the ICPC in June 2002 to reenter politics.
As a member of the Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
(AD) party he challenged the incumbent Governor George Akume
George Akume
George Akume is a Nigerian politician, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was governor of Benue State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and was then elected to the Senate....
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) in the April 2003 gubernatorial elections.
He was not successful.
In September 2004 he was head of one of the National Convention Committees for the AD, after a factional split in the party caused by the return of former chairman Ahmed Abdulkadir.
Adasu died on 20 November 2005. After his death Benue State University conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Adasu.