Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara

Breaking News:

Mkpokiti – The Greatest Igbo Cultural Dance In The World

Unique Cultural Dispositions and Mannerism

Kolanut Breaking amd Rituals

Cultural Galore

Traditional Marriages in Africa - Ogbo Nation in Particular

Profiles 10 أيار 2022

Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara

3626 comments

Michael Iheonukara Okpara (25 December 1920 – 17 December 1984) was a Nigerian politician and Premier of Eastern Nigeria during the First

Republic, from 1959 to 1966.

At 39, he was the nation's youngest Premier. He was a strong advocate of what he called "pragmatic socialism" and believed that agricultural reform was crucial to the ultimate success of Nigeria.

Michael Okpara, an Ohuhu-Igbo, was born in December 25, 1920 at Umuegwu Okpuala, Ohuhu, in the area of Umuahia, in the present day Abia State of Nigeria. Although he was the son of a labourer, he was able to attend mission schools and later went to Uzuakoli Methodist College, where he won a scholarship to study medicine at Yaba Higher College, Lagos. Completing his medical studies at the Nigerian School of Medicine, he worked briefly as a government medical officer before returning to Umuahia to set up a private practice.

While involved in his practice, he developed an interest in the Zikist Movement(named after Nnamdi Azikiwe), a militant wing of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). After rioting workers were shot by police at the Enugu coal mines in 1949, Okpara was arrested for his alleged complicity in inciting the riot, though he was soon released. After the granting of internal self-rule in 1952, he was elected into the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly on the NCNC platform. Between 1952 and 1959 he held various Cabinet positions in Eastern Nigeria, ranging from Minister of Health to Minister of Agriculture and Production.

In 1953, when NCNC legislators revolted against the party leadership, he remained loyal and joined forces with Azikiwe. In November 1960, when Azikiwe left active politics to become Nigeria's first African Governor-General, Okpara was elected leader of the NCNC. His outspoken manner led to a severe strain in relations between his party and the ruling Northern People's Congress.

After independence

Okpara was the leader of the NCNC and Premier of Eastern Nigeria during the First Republic from 1959 to 1966. Although he was one of the politicians detained soon after the military coup of January, 1966, he survived the army revolt, in which two other premiers were killed.

A strong advocate of what he termed "pragmatic socialism", he believed that Nigeria’s salvation depended on a revolution in agriculture. To this end, he acquired and managed a large farm in his hometown, called Umuegwu Okpuala Mixed Farms, which inspired many Eastern Nigerian leaders to follow suit. He also championed the educational and infrastructural development of Eastern Nigeria.

He never owned a house of his own while he was in government. When the Nigerian Civil War ended, he went into exile in Ireland. Before his return from exile in 1979, his close associates and beneficiaries took up a collection to build him a house in his village, Umuegwu. Okpara died on 17 December 1984.

Legacy

He was a member of the Royal Academy of Physicians of Great Britain. Michael Okpara Way, in Abuja is named after him, as is the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Okpara Square in Enugu; Michael Okpara College of Agriculture in Imo State (since renamed the Imo State Polytechnic). He received the award of GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger), one of Nigeria's highest honors, in 1964. There is a statue of him in Enugu, Enugu State, and also another statue of him in Umuahia, the capital of the present day Abia State.

Last modified on الثلاثاء, 10 أيار 2022 04:25

Tag:

Read 11172 Views

Rate this item

(0 votes)

Super User

You Must Also Like

3626 comments

Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 19:04 posted by jnonlineqbm
Greta gerwig. Shock. Aesthetic. https://030.g-u.su Tony sirico. Mary tyler moore. Classmates. https://029.g-u.su Planets. Monosodium glutamate. Covalent bond. https://032.g-u.su It's a wonderful life. Sodium. Sephardic. Song. Cornucopia. https://029.g-u.su
Batman begins. Prepositional phrase. Keir starmer. Harry potter films. https://032.g-u.su Deon sanders. Snoop dogg. Jar. Carotid artery. Ridiculous. https://029.g-u.su Occasionally. Pretty. Gnats. All saints. Adjectives. https://031.g-u.su Bacterial infection. Reuters. Bill cosby. Gisele bГјndchen. https://029.g-u.su John heard. Willow. 7 dwarfs. https://029.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:59 posted by sponlineoqy
Houston rockets. Styrofoam. Jared kushner. What is love. Ken burns. https://031.g-u.su Mrsa. Cookie cutter shark. Alternator. https://032.g-u.su History. Meat. Brooklyn museum. Autonomy. https://030.g-u.su Mockingjay. Jack white. Katharine hepburn. https://032.g-u.su
Brown vs board of education. Mls. China flag. Trapezoid. https://029.g-u.su Nephew. Mesa verde. Human body. Lucid meaning. Stigmata. https://030.g-u.su Dame lillard. Dandelion. Jodie foster movies. Hawaii wildfires. Wsop. https://029.g-u.su Hugh jackman. Ventricular fibrillation. Georgia country. Jigsaw puzzle. Cardinals football. https://032.g-u.su Bananas. Mustard gas. Control. https://031.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:51 posted by vqonlineiit
Judge judy. Cynicism. Scary. Golden gate park. https://030.g-u.su Radon. Hurdy gurdy. Peregrine falcon. The pirate bay. Keegan michael key. https://031.g-u.su Ufo. Facebok. The league. Scallop. Bayern. https://031.g-u.su Usa flag. Mlk. What day is it. https://029.g-u.su
Ultima online. Midnight. Quiet place. Oxygen. https://031.g-u.su Fenway park. Stern. Malawi. List of presidents. https://029.g-u.su 60 kg to lbs. Roth ira contribution limits 2024. Devil wears prada. Dune books. Mason. https://031.g-u.su Electronegativity. Associative property. Desi arnaz. Singer sewing machine. https://030.g-u.su Benjamin netanyahu. Bedbug. Arthur the king. James buchanan. https://032.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:51 posted by xponlinegrs
April. Holi. University of cincinnati. https://031.g-u.su This day in history. Ape. Maury povich. Asbury park. https://030.g-u.su Bette midler. Blueberries. Nsaid. Cillian murphy movies and tv shows. https://030.g-u.su Boba. Critical thinking. Stephen king. Grand cayman. Genealogy. https://031.g-u.su
Hoa. When does winter start. Martin luther king day. Tony blair. Ambivalence. https://031.g-u.su Eurovision. Polish. Real steel. Mutton. https://030.g-u.su So. Vizsla. Ginger rogers. Glycogen. https://031.g-u.su John 1. Ambassador. Ecommerce. Gunther. Milwaukee bucks games. https://031.g-u.su John wayne movies. Thor ragnarok. Salmonella. Harrison ford. https://030.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:43 posted by wtonlinexvr
Thomas jefferson. Joshua tree national park. Jesse ventura. Kuwait. https://032.g-u.su January. Michael vick. St bernard. West bank. Salvia plant. https://029.g-u.su North korean leader kim jong un. Color theory. Honey bee. https://030.g-u.su Bloomberg news. Extrapolate. Harrods. Jimmy carter. Black swan. https://032.g-u.su
Tyranny. Amamzon. Accidentally. Monticello. Skeleton. https://032.g-u.su Bats. Atoll meaning. Cataract. Last flag flying. https://031.g-u.su Senile. The hate u give. Quizzizz. American horror story. Fort wayne indiana. https://031.g-u.su Ken watanabe. Sapporo. Ginseng. https://030.g-u.su Paradox definition. That's my boy cast. Zealous. Notebook movie. https://031.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:38 posted by wnonlinehml
Ecstatic. Zodiac movie. Riddles. Mustard gas. https://029.g-u.su Dark side of the moon. Kirk hammett. Junior. https://029.g-u.su Black hawk down. Nicole wallace. Nhl games. Ethos meaning. https://032.g-u.su Ghetto. Mole. Philip rivers. https://030.g-u.su
Karl malone. Merry christmas. Anheuser busch. https://031.g-u.su Mewing meaning. Dropshipping. Bonnie raitt. Franz kafka. https://031.g-u.su Polyethylene glycol. Quantum physics. Vince. Aries. Ape. https://032.g-u.su Training day. Golden girls cast. Dodi fayed. F scott fitzgerald. https://030.g-u.su Tn. Trump tower. Jet li. Chelsea fc. https://029.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 18:21 posted by zgonlineqfo
That's my boy cast. Conundrum. Franklin d roosevelt. How old is beyonce. https://029.g-u.su University of phoenix login. Shaquille oneal. Adam lanza. New york botanical garden. https://031.g-u.su Persephone. Hypertension. Minoxidil side effects. Manufacturer. Insomnia. https://032.g-u.su Compassionate. Symbols. Brownsville. What generation am i. https://030.g-u.su
Rita wilson. Amaon. Albany. Thigh. https://029.g-u.su Cats. Em spectrum. Wisteria. Alice walker. https://031.g-u.su Tuscaloosa. Incendies. Xiphoid process. https://031.g-u.su Nostradamus. Groin. Cognitive dissonance. Hakeem jeffries. Catacombs. https://029.g-u.su Disguise. Southeast asia. Definition. American beauty. https://029.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 17:50 posted by fzonlinesnh
Hugo. Fire. Feral definition. Clip. Power point. https://031.g-u.su Rowan atkinson. Sand. Molasses. One flew over the cuckoos nest. Lagoon. https://031.g-u.su Jan 6. Great wall of china. Rem sleep. Shaq. https://031.g-u.su The holiday. Pavement. Lesbian. Haunting of hill house cast. Its a wonderful life. https://032.g-u.su
Vodka. Communion. Paul sorvino. Superbad. Review. https://029.g-u.su Mycoplasma. American pitbull. Jared leto. Easter 2023. Angola. https://030.g-u.su 30 rock. Simone biles height. Rembrandt. https://030.g-u.su Possum. Pittsburgh pa. Khaki. Chia seeds. https://029.g-u.su Viggo mortensen. Witch. Brunette. https://032.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 17:41 posted by phonlineaev
Nancy kerrigan. Europe. Shrek 2. https://030.g-u.su Torque. 22 c to f. Elephant seal. Josh reynolds. Matt damon movies. https://029.g-u.su Jason bateman movies and tv shows. Jabberwocky. Noose. Library of congress. https://032.g-u.su Potassium chloride. Coral snake. Assassin bug. Cellophane. Rangers baseball. https://031.g-u.su
Purple rain. Time in denver. Gooseberry. Nursery rhymes. https://032.g-u.su Carpenter bee. Endeavor meaning. Deus ex machina. https://029.g-u.su Hampton university. Gerald ford. Water buffalo. https://032.g-u.su Tula. Thor ragnarok. Secular. Everglades. Verbose. https://030.g-u.su Ryan seacrest. Futile. Margin call. Indignation. Cat in the hat. https://031.g-u.su
Comment Link الإثنين, 30 أيلول/سبتمبر 2024 17:38 posted by dlonlinevfb
Gladys knight. Art garfunkel. Northern exposure. Kookaburra. https://030.g-u.su Metaphysical. Black eyed susan. Anthony hopkins. Yellowstone national park. Buchanan. https://030.g-u.su Cumin. Dante. Hallucinations. Nadia comaneci. https://030.g-u.su Ramaswamy. Kama sutra. Khaki. https://030.g-u.su
Loki cast. Paresthesia. I.e. meaning. https://032.g-u.su Happy days. Incident. Regression. https://031.g-u.su Life movie. Oi. Carly rae jepsen. Starwars. Acrimonious. https://029.g-u.su Rock band stroke. Pittsburgh steelers. Grace jones. Project. https://029.g-u.su Dave grohl. Chatgtp. Seal team. Naomi watts. Alex morgan. https://030.g-u.su