The Life And Times Chief Micheal Okpara

BIOGRAPHY OF DR.M.I.OKPARA
DR. MICHAEL IHEONUKARA OKPARA WAS THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA AND THE CAMEROONS AND PREMIER OF EASTERN NIGERIA (COMPRISING NINE OUT OF NIGERIA'S THIRTY-SIX STATES) DURING THE FIRST REPUBLIC (FROM 1959–1966). HE, ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT NNAMDI AZIKIWE, ALHAJI AHMADU BELLO AND CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO, IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST LEADERS NIGERIA HAS EVER PRODUCED.

 ALTHOUGH DR. OKPARA WAS ONE OF THE POLITICIANS DETAINED SOON AFTER THE MILITARY COUP OF JANUARY, 1966, HE AND CHIEF DENNIS OSADEBAY OF THE MID-WEST WERE THE ONLY REGIONAL PREMIERS WHO SURVIVED THE ARMY REVOLT OF JANUARY, 1966, IN WHICH TWO OTHER PREMIERS WERE KILLED.

 AN IGBO FROM UMUEGWU, AFUGIRI, OHUHU, UMUAHIA, IN THE PRESENT DAY ABIA STATE OF NIGERIA (MAJOR-GENERAL JOHNSON AGUIYI-IRONSI, NIGERIA'S FIRST MILITARY RULER, ALSO HAILED FROM UMUAHIA), DR. OKPARA WAS AT 46 THE NIGERIA’S YOUNGEST PREMIER. THE SON OF A LABOURER, HE WAS BORN IN DECEMBER OF 1920. AFTER ATTENDING MISSION SCHOOLS, HE WENT TO THE UZUAKOLI METHODIST COLLEGE, WHERE HE WON A SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY MEDICINE AT THE THEN YABA HIGHER COLLEGE, LAGOS. COMPLETING HIS MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE NIGERIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, DR. OKPARA WORKED BRIEFLY AS A GOVERNMENT MEDICAL OFFICER BEFORE SETTING UP A PRIVATE PRACTICE IN UMUAHIA.

 WHILE CARRYING ON HIS PRACTICE, DR. OKPARA SHOWED GREAT INTEREST IN THE ZIKIST MOVEMENT (NAMED AFTER DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE), THE MILITANT WING OF DR. AZIKIWE'S NCNC, WHICH BROUGHT THE INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE TO A HEAD IN THE LATE FORTIES. AFTER THE SHOOTING OF RIOTING WORKERS AT THE ENUGU COAL MINES IN 1949, DR. OKPARA WAS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ZIKIST MOVEMENT ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALLEGEDLY INCITING THE WORKERS TO RIOT. HE WAS LATER RELEASED. FOLLOWING THE GRANTING OF INTERNAL SELF-RULE BY BRITAIN, DR. OKPARA WAS ELECTED INTO THE EASTERN NIGERIAN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN 1952 ON THE NCNC PLATFORM. BETWEEN 1952 AND 1959 - WHEN HE TOOK OVER FROM DR. AZIKIWE AS PREMIER OF THE EAST - HE HELD VARIOUS CABINET POSITIONS IN EASTERN NIGERIA, RANGING FROM THE MINISTER OF HEALTH TO THAT OF AGRICULTURE AND PRODUCTION.

 WHEN IN 1953 NCNC LEGISLATORS IN THE EASTERN NIGERIAN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY AND THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN LAGOS REVOLTED AGAINST THE PARTY LEADERSHIP, DR. OKPARA WAS AMONG PARTY LOYALISTS WHO JOINED FORCES WITH DR. AZIKIWE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL NOVEMBER, 1960, WHEN DR. AZIKIWE FINALLY LEFT ACTIVE POLITICS TO BECOME NIGERIA'S FIRST AFRICAN GOVERNOR-GENERAL, THAT DR. OKPARA WAS ELECTED LEADER OF THE NCNC. VERY FORCEFUL AND OUTSPOKEN, DR. OKPARA WAS UNCOMPROMISING ON VITAL NATIONAL ISSUES. THIS IN 1963 LED TO A SEVERE STRAIN IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HIS PARTY AND THE RULING NORTHERN PEOPLES' CONGRESS OF THE LATE PRIME MINISTER ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA (NIGERIA’S FIRST PRIME MINISTER), WITH WHICH THE NCNC FORMED THE COUNTRY'S FIRST POST-INDEPENDENCE GOVERNMENT.

 A STRONG ADVOCATE OF WHAT HE TERMED “PRAGMATIC SOCIALISM,” DR. OKPARA REASONED THAT NIGERIA’S SALVATION HINGED ON AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION. TO THIS END, HE ACQUIRED AND MANAGED A LARGE FARM IN HIS HOMETOWN; THUS INSPIRING MANY EASTERN NIGERIAN LEADERS TO TAKE UP INTEREST IN FARMING. APART FROM REVOLUTIONIZING AGRICULTURE IN EASTERN NIGERIA, DR. OKPARA HAS TO HIS CREDIT THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF SUCH NOTABLE NIGERIAN CITIES AS ENUGU (EASTERN NIGERIA’S GOVERNMENT SEAT), PORT HARCOURT, CALABAR, ABA AND HIS HOMETOWN OF UMUAHIA. HE ALSO CHAMPIONED THE EDUCATIONAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF EASTERN NIGERIA. SUCCESSIVE EASTERN NIGERIAN LEADERS (GOVERNORS OF ABIA, ANAMBRA, AKWA IBOM, CROSS RIVER, RIVERS, EBONYI, IMO, BAYELSA AND ENUGU STATES) HAVE YET TO BUILD UPON THE SELFLESS LEADERSHIP AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DR. OKPARA.

 DR. MICHEAL OKPARA DID NOT BUILD OR OWN A HOUSE OF HIS OWN, EITHER AT UMUEGWU, HIS VILLAGE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN NIGERIA WHEN HE WAS IN GOVERNMENT. WHEN THE BIAFRA-NIGERIA CIVIL WAR ENDED, HE WENT ON EXILE TO THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. BEFORE HIS RETURN IN 1979, THE IGBO PEOPLE CHIPPED IN TO BUILD HIM A SINGLE STOREY HOUSE IN UMUEGWU.

 DR. OKPARA DIED ON DECEMBER THE 17TH, 1984. FOR THE SELFLESS SERVICE HE RENDERED NIGERIA, THE MICHAEL OKPARA WAY, IN ABUJA – NIGERIA’S CAPITAL CITY – IS NAMED AFTER HIM. SO ARE THE MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE, THE OKPARA SQUARE IN ENUGU, TO NAME JUST A FEW.

 DR. OKPARA RECEIVED THE AWARD OF GCON (GRAND COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER), THE NIGERIA'S HIGHEST HONOUR, IN 1964, IN RECOGNITION OF HIS SERVICES TO HIS NATION.