Birthdays
DANJUMA, Lieutenant- General Theophilus Yakubu ( rtd), businessman and administrator will be 82 on December 9, 2020. Born on December 9, 1938 in Takum Local Council Area of Taraba State, he was educated at Takum Elementary School, 1944- 50; St.
Bathlomew’s Primary School ( now Government College), Katsina- Ala, 1953- 58; Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, 1959- 60 and the Nigerian Military Training Centre, Kaduna, 1960.
He then proceeded to the United Kingdom to complete his Cadetship Training at Mons Officers Cadet School, Aldershot. He was of the Infantry Corps and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Danjuma was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as second lieutenant and platoon commander in Congo. In 1963, he joined a UN Peace- keeping force in Sante, Katanga Province in Congo; he was promoted to the position of a captain three years later. In 1966, Captain Danjuma was involved in the Nigerian Counter- Coup of 1966 with the 4th Battalion in Mokola, Ibadan. Oyo State in 1967, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the start of the civil war campaign towards Enugu, which was captured later that year.
In December 1967, he was appointed Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 1st Infantry Brigade, a position he held till July 1968. Towards the end of the Nigerian Civil War, Danjuma led a battalion that freed Jaja Wachuku, first Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives as well as first Ambassador to the
KUnited Nations and first Foreign Affairs Minister, from detention by the Ojukwugovernment. He was a Director of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, 1978- 82; Minister of Defence, 1999- 03; Chairman, Comet Shipping Agencies. He holds traditional titles of Abonta of Wukari, Ochiaga of Obowu, Etiti, Imo State. OKORI, Chief Frank Ovie, trade unionist, administrator, social critic and politician will be 76 on
December 7, 2020. Born in Warri, Delta State, on December 7, 1944, he attended Urhobo College, Warri, 195962; Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1963- 64; University of Ibadan, 1994; Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands, 1984; former tariff clerk, NEPA ( now PHCN); district sales representative, Lever Brothers Nigeria ( now Unilever Nigeria Plc); General Secretary, Nigerian Union of Nigerian Bank Employees; General Secretary, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG); member Constitution Committee; Petroleum Committee and International Labour Organisation; member, African Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers.
SERIKI,
Ademola Rasaq, politician, teacher, businessman, accountant and former Minister will be 61 tomorrow, November 30, 2020. Born on November 30, 1959, he started his career as a clerical officer in the Lagos City Council, City Hall, Lagos in 1978 and had a brief stint at the International Bank for West Africa Ltd ( IBWA). He thereafter proceeded to New York to study Accounting, Finance & Management. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Accounting, Figement from Herbert Lehman College of the City University of New York.
He also attended Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge Massachusetts. He joined the Rochester New York firm of Koskolowsky and Co. ( Certified Public Accountants), 1986- 87 as Assistant Manager ( Auditing). He was also Customer Representative/ Assistant Manager at Dollar Dry Dock Bank, New York City.
On his return to Nigeria, he joined Equity and Trust Finance Company Limited from 1987 as Business Manager until he was appointed Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Council in 1992- 94.
OHe is the founder of Perpetual Investment and Finance Company Limited ( PIFCO); Vice President of Rosedale New York based Perpetual Associates International ( USA) Inc., 1994- 99. He is a Director at Cappa D’alberto Plc.
He was the Lagos Central District Senatorial candidate on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention ( NRC) in 1992, elected in 1998 as a member of the Federal House of Representatives from the Lagos Island Federal Constituency on the platform of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party ( UNDP). In 2007, he was appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources. In 2008, he was the Supervising Minister for Mines and Steel Development.
Between 2008 and 2009, he was appointed Minister of State for Defence and finally, Minister of State for Interior between 2009 and March 2010. While he was a Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, he was the Chairman of Niger Basin Authority ( NBA). In May 2009, he was conferred with Chieftaincy title of the Otun Aare of Lagos. KOROH, Rotarian Chidi will be 55 on December 1, 2020. Okoroh was born to the family of Nze Okoroh and
Lydia Otuonye Owerrinta, Isiala Ngwa South Local Council of Abia State on December 1, 1965.
He attended Anglican Grammar School ( then Community Secondary School) Nbawsi between 1977- 1982, where he was Laboratory Prefect in 1981/ 82 session. Between 1982 and 1984, he attended the Federal School of Arts & Science ( FSAS) Aba, Abia State University ( former Imo State University) 19841988, where he contested and became Assistant Secretary General of Student Union Government ( SUG) in
1986/ 1987 session.
Okoroh was at the Rivers State University ( the RSUST) between 1995 and 2001 and also attended the Lagos Business School 2007/ 2008. He worked for Incar Nigeria Limited, Bompai Kano ( 19891991); Accounts Executive, Poseidon Group ( 1991- 1992); Accountant, SOS oil serve Nig. Ltd; PHC ( 1992- 1994); Senior Accountant, Tarina- Azilux Group Ltd., PH ( 1994- 1995); General Manager, ( T/ Azilux) 1995- 1997; Group Executive Director Cokserve Group ( 2002 - 2010), Group MD/ CEO Cokserve Group ( 2011- Date). Rtn. Okoroh seats on the board of several Companies including L C Waikili, Istanbul, Turkey; Eiderik AS, Hagusand Norway and Shipserve Offshore, Singapore.
He is the Grand Patron of Okoroh Memorial Foundation, a foundation that has benefited not less than 2,000 people; he is a member of many professional and social organisations and has held leadership positions in some of them. They include Ngwa Welfare Club- ( where he served as President between 2010- 2014; Abia State Alumni Association ( served as President at various time ( 19992001; 2003- 2005); Owerrinta Development Association; Ngwa Patriots Forum; Honorary member, Nigerian Airforce Officers Mess; Member, IBB Golf Club, Abuja International; Chairman ( PTA Nigerian/ Turkish College, Abuja ( 2012- 2014) and Maritime Arbitration Association of Nigeria ( MAAN), among others. He has received recognitions and awards from the rotary family and many organisations worldwide. In particular, he is a recipient of the following awards from Rotaract Clubs: Vocational service award of the Rotaract Club of Ignatius Ajuru University ( August 2012); the most supportive Rotarian in Rivers Zone of Rotaract Club District 9140 Award ( December 2012); the Best Supporting Rotarian of the year award of Rotaract D9141 2017/ 18; Selfless Service Award of the Rotaract Club of Rivers New City, 2018/ 19; Meritorious Service Award of Excellence in Community Development of Rotaract D9141 2019/ 20, among others. Compiled by Gbenga Akinfenwa, oluwagbenga. akinfenwa@ guardian. ng or gbengaherkin@ yahoo. com