Akintunde Aduwo Explained

Akintunde Aduwo
Honorific Prefix:Vice Admiral
Office1:Chief of Naval Staff
Term Start1:April 1980
Term End1:December 1983
Predecessor1:Michael Ayinde Adelanwa
Successor1:Augustus Aikhomu
Office2:Governor of Western State
Term Start2:July 1975
Term End2:August 1975
Predecessor2:Christopher Oluwole Rotimi
Successor2:David Jemibewon
Birth Date:12 June 1938
Birth Place:Ode-Aye, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria
Allegiance: Nigeria
Branch: Nigerian Navy
Serviceyears:1962–1983
Rank: Vice Admiral

Chief Akintunde Aduwo (born 12 June 1938) is a retired Nigerian Navy Vice Admiral who served as Chief of Naval Staff from 1980 to 1983 and as military governor of the Nigerian Western State from July 1975 to August 1975 during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed.[1]

Early years

Akin Aduwo was born on 12 June 1938 in Ode-Aye in Okitipupa, Ondo State.He attended Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos (1952–1956).He worked as a clerk, then as a cadet in the Merchant Marines where he obtained British Merchant Navy Sea Training (1958–1960) and studied at the Liverpool College of Technology, Liverpool, England (1961–1962).[2]

In November 1962 Aduwo transferred to Nigerian Navy as a sub-lieutenant.He was appointed naval officer-in-charge of the Eastern Naval Patrol, then as a lieutenant took command of NNS Aanasa in 1964. His other appointments include first commanding officer of NNS Dorina, first Nigerian director of armament supply and commanding officer of NNS Nigeria.[3] During the Nigerian Civil War, Lt. Commander Akin Aduwo commanded[4] NNS Ogoja. During the sea battle that led to the fall of Bonny in July 1967, he pursued the NNS Ibadan, which had been hijacked to Biafra.[5]

Senior positions

Muritala Muhammed announced Captain Akin Aduwo's appointment as governor in his maiden speech of 30 July 1975.[6] Aduwo was Military Governor of Western State for just one month, and then was posted to the Nigerian High Commission in India.[7] He was replaced by Colonel David Jemibewon.[8] General Olusegun Obasanjo said Aduwo had been relieved of his appointment as governor to rescue him from the problem of the West "which had overwhelmed him".[9]

Aduwo went for a course at the Indian National Defence College, and in 1977 was promoted commodore and appointed flag officer commanding the Nigerian Naval Flotilla.He held this position until being appointed Chief of the Naval Staff on 15 April 1980 during the Shehu Shagari regime.[3] As Chief of Naval Staff, Aduwo renamed NNS Beecroft, the naval base in the Apapa area of Lagos, to NNS Olokun after the ocean goddess, as part of a trend to move from colonial-era names to local Nigerian names.[10]

Later career

After retirement, Aduwo continued to be publicly active.He became a leader of the Yoruba Unity Forum and attended several Yoruba Council of Elders meetings. He had served for several years as an elder of the Yoruba people, holding the aristocratic titles of the Oloye Obateru of Aye and the Oloye Taarelase of Ile-Ife.,[11] [12] Aduwo was a delegate from Ondo State at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference.[13] He served on the logistics committee of the conference.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nigerian States . WorldStatesmen . 16 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100528072649/http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm. 28 May 2010 . live.
  2. Web site: Aduwo Hits 71 . Daily Independent (Lagos) . 6 June 2009. 16 May 2010.
  3. Web site: Past Chiefs of the Naval Staff . Nigerian Navy . 16 May 2010.
  4. Web site: 10 September 2016 . BIAFRA NOT IN IGBO'S INTEREST – EX-NAVAL CHIEF, AKIN ADUWO . 14 March 2022 . The Sun Nigeria . en-US.
  5. Web site: Barracks: The History Behind Those Names - Part 5 . Nowa Omoigui . Dawodu . 16 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100528050528/http://www.dawodu.com/barrack4.htm. 28 May 2010 . live.
  6. Web site: Military Rebellion of July 29, 1975: The coup against Gowon - Part 9 . Nowa Omoigui . Dawodu . 16 May 2010.
  7. Web site: How now, ex-president Okikiete Obasanjo? . Duro Onabule . 22 June 2007. Daily Sun . 16 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100429041045/http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/onabule/today-22-june-2007.htm . 29 April 2010. dead .
  8. Book: 187 . Oil, politics and violence: Nigeria's military coup culture (1966-1976) . Max Siollun . Max Siollun . Algora Publishing . 2009 . 978-0-87586-708-3.
  9. Book: 57 . Intellectuals and African development: pretension and resistance in African politics . Björn Beckman, Gbemisola Adeoti . Zed Books . 2006 . 1-84277-765-3.
  10. Web site: Barracks: The History Behind Those Names - Part 7 . Nowa Omoigui . Dawodu . 16 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100515115403/http://www.dawodu.com/barrack8.htm. 15 May 2010 . live. and http://hqwnc.org/nns-beecroft/, accessed September 2020.
  11. Web site: YAR'ADUA: Yoruba Unity Forum warns on constitutional anomaly . Dapo Falade and Charles Akinsete . Nigerian Tribune . 16 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100406090140/http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/1894-yaradua-yoruba-unity-forum-warns-on-constitutional-anomaly.html . 6 April 2010. dead .
  12. AFRICA WHO'S WHO, second edition 1991, Raph Uwechue and Various Others, Africa Books ltd,
  13. Web site: Government names delegates to National Political Reform Confab . 16 February 2005. Dawodu.
  14. Web site: National Conference: Glimpses of A Likely Yoruba Agenda . Clifford Ndujihe . Guardian . 24 January 2005. 16 May 2010.