The Man Who Governed Eastern Nigeria From Outside

The Man Who Governed Eastern Nigeria From Outside

The Man Who Governed Eastern Nigeria From Outside

His name was Anthony Ukpabi Asika, a respected lecturer who was appointed as the administrator of East Central State.

Now, here is the story:

1. When Gen. Yakubu Gowon created 12 states in May 1967 to break up the regions, the old Eastern Region was split into East Central State (Igbo area), Rivers State, and South-Eastern State. Gowon appointed Asika, an Igbo political science lecturer from Onitsha at University of Ibadan, as the Administrator of East Central State in October 1967. He officially succeeded Lt. Col. Ojukwu.
2. When he was appointed, Enugu was still the capital of Biafra. Biafra Radio called him “Lord Haw Haw” – a nickname for tra!tor – because he was a pro-federal Igbo intellectual.

So in 1967-1968 he operated largely from outside – from Lagos and from the federal side. His administration only had physical control over each area once such area was cãptured by the Nigerian Army. Enugu fell to federal troops on 4 October 1967, just before his appointment on 28 Oct 1967, but it remained a wãr zone and he could not establish a stable civil administration there for months.

As the wãr progressed, Asika moved into federally-liberated towns in what is now Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia. He never governed the interior of Biafra that Ojukwu still controlled until the very end.

3. His roles in government included:

• To give the Federal side an Igbo face. Gowon deliberately appointed an Igbo official as Administrator.
• To administer federal-occupied areas, keep schools/hospitals running where possible
• To coordinate relief and prepare for post-war Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

After Biafra surrendered in January 1970, Asika then became responsible for administering the entire former Igbo heartland of Biafra, overseeing reintegration and managing wãr devãstation until July 1975.

So, while Ojukwu governed Biafra from inside the secēss!onist territory, Asika governed East Central State on paper from outside at first, then from the federal-liberated enclaves, and after 1970, he governed the whole state from Enugu.