Ndubuisi Kanu
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Godwin Kanu was appointed military governor of Imo State
, Nigeria
in March 1976 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He was the first governor after the decree that established the state from part of the old East Central State
.
He was transferred to become governor of Lagos State
in 1977, leaving office in July 1978.
in 1943 of Igbo
origin. Joining the navy, he went to India for cadet training. His naval career included positions in Personnel, Logistics and Training. He obtained honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Imo State University
and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri
.
In July 1975 as a lieutenant commander he was appointed a member of Murtala Muhammed's ruling Cabinet, the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
Appointed governor of Imo State in March 1976, he brought in town planners to prepare a plan for Owerri
.
Kanu built roads in Owerri metropolis, expanded that number of Local Government Areas to 21 and founded the Imo Broadcasting Service, which went on air in December 1976.
He later became Rear Admiral and Naval chief.
He held various positions including Chairman of RANGK LTD, an underwater Engineering Company, Director of Fidelity Bank Plc. and Chairman of Ohaneze Transition Caretaker Committee (OTC).
Kanu became a top National Democratic Coalition
(NADECO) chieftain.
In May 2008, Kanu called for a return to true federalism in Nigeria.
In an interview in November 2008 he attacked what he called Unitarism, the excessive concentration of powers at the centre, and called for fundamental dialog by the different ethnic nationalities of Nigeria. He blamed problems like the conflict in the Niger Delta
on the lack of regional power.
In another interview, he pinpointed the second stage of the General Ibrahim Babangida
regime as the time when things started to go wrong, with increasingly centralized control.
He was among leaders who spoke in January 2010 at a Lagos
rally of the Save Nigeria Group calling for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan
be made acting president during President Umaru Yar'Adua's illness.
His wife Gladys Kanu is well known as a fashionable socialite.
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
, 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 March 1976 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He was the first governor after the decree that established the state from part of the old East Central State
East Central State
East Central State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Eastern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states - Anambra and Imo. The area now comprises five states Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia...
.
He was transferred to become governor of Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
in 1977, leaving office in July 1978.
Naval career
Ndubuisi Kanu was born in Abia StateAbia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
in 1943 of Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
origin. Joining the navy, he went to India for cadet training. His naval career included positions in Personnel, Logistics and Training. He obtained honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Imo State University
Imo State University
The Imo State University in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria was established in 1981 through law No. 4 passed by the Imo State House of Assembly.The university admitted the first intake of 392 pioneer students on October 23, 1981....
and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Owerri
Owerri is the capital of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of the Igboland. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006...
.
In July 1975 as a lieutenant commander he was appointed a member of Murtala Muhammed's ruling Cabinet, the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
Appointed governor of Imo State in March 1976, he brought in town planners to prepare a plan for Owerri
Owerri
Owerri is the capital of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of the Igboland. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006...
.
Kanu built roads in Owerri metropolis, expanded that number of Local Government Areas to 21 and founded the Imo Broadcasting Service, which went on air in December 1976.
He later became Rear Admiral and Naval chief.
Post-retirement
After he retired he joined the pro-democracy movement and played a leading role in the agitation for the actualization of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.He held various positions including Chairman of RANGK LTD, an underwater Engineering Company, Director of Fidelity Bank Plc. and Chairman of Ohaneze Transition Caretaker Committee (OTC).
Kanu became a top National Democratic Coalition
National Democratic Coalition (Nigeria)
The National Democratic Coalition was formed on May 15, 1994 by a broad coalition of Nigerian democrats, who called on the military government of Sani Abacha to step down in favor of the winner of the June 12, 1993 election, M. K. O...
(NADECO) chieftain.
In May 2008, Kanu called for a return to true federalism in Nigeria.
In an interview in November 2008 he attacked what he called Unitarism, the excessive concentration of powers at the centre, and called for fundamental dialog by the different ethnic nationalities of Nigeria. He blamed problems like the conflict in the Niger Delta
Conflict in the Niger Delta
The current conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s over tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw...
on the lack of regional power.
In another interview, he pinpointed the second stage of the 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...
regime as the time when things started to go wrong, with increasingly centralized control.
He was among leaders who spoke in January 2010 at a 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...
rally of the Save Nigeria Group calling for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
be made acting president during President Umaru Yar'Adua's illness.
His wife Gladys Kanu is well known as a fashionable socialite.