David Jemibewon

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = David Jemibewon

| honorific_prefix = Major General

| image =

| image_size =

| office1 = Minister of Police Affairs

| term_start1 = 1999

| term_end1 = 2000

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 = Stephen Akiga

| office2 = Military Governor of Oyo State

| term_start2 = March 1976

| term_end2 = July 1978

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 = Col. Paul Tarfa

| office3 = Military Governor of Western State

| term_start3 = August 1975

| term_end3 = March 1976

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 =

| alma_mater = NMTC
Mons Officer Cadet School
University of Lagos
Ahmadu Bello University
United States Army Command and General Staff College

| allegiance = {{NGR}}

| branch = {{army|Nigeria}}

| serviceyears = 1960–1983

| rank = 20px Major General

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1940|7|20}}

}}

David Medayese Jemibewon {{Pronunciation|Yo-David Medayese Jemibewon.ogg|Listen|(|help=no}} (born 20 July 1940) is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as military governor of the now defunct Western State (August 1975 – March 1976) during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed, governor of Oyo State after it had been created from part of the old Western State (March 1976 -July 1978) during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo,{{cite web

| url = http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm

| title = Nigeria States

| work = WorldStatesmen

| access-date = 2010-02-18

}}

and later as Minister of Police Affairs in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo after the return to democracy (1999 to 2000). He was a contender for the Kogi West Senatorial District in Kogi State.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2001/11/10/20011110cov02.html

|title = PDP's Men of Power

|author1 = Waheed Odusile

|author2 = Ufot Essien

|author3 = Kola Ologbondiyan

|author4 = Oma Djebah

|author5 = Chris Nwachuku

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2001-11-10

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051202191041/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2001/11/10/20011110cov02.html

|archive-date = 2005-12-02

}}

Early life and education

Jemibewon was born on 20 July 1940 in Iyah-Gbedde in Ijumu council of Kogi State. He was educated in Nigeria, England, and the United States of America. He holds the traditional title of Jagunmolu of Ibadan, Oyo State.{{cite web

| url = http://www.newswatchngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1112&Itemid=34

| title = In the News

| author1 = Kazeem Akintunde

| author2 = Belinda Mbonu

| date = 19 July 2009

| work = Newswatch

| access-date = 2010-02-18

}}

He belongs to the Okun majority ethnic group.{{cite web

| url = http://news.biafranigeriaworld.com/archive/ngguardian/2002/dec/07/article17.html

| title = Battle Of The Generals For Kogi State

| author = RALPH OMOLOLU AGBANA

| work = The Guardian

| date = December 7, 2002

| access-date = 2010-02-18

}}{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2020-06-26 |title=ALL GOVERNORS OF OYO STATE |url=https://www.glimpse.ng/all-governors-of-oyo-state/ |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=Glimpse Nigeria |language=en-US}}

Military career

Jemibewon was General Officer Commanding First Infantry Division.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/08/31/20030831int01.html

|title = 'Why Nigeria Can't Shy Away from Liberia'

|author = Oma Djebah

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2003-08-31

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051126071708/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/08/31/20030831int01.html

|archive-date = 2005-11-26

}}

In August 1975 he was appointed governor of Western State replacing Akintunde Aduwo, who had held office for just 30 days.{{cite book

| page = 187

| title = Oil, politics and violence: Nigeria's military coup culture (1966–1976)

| author = Max Siollun

| publisher = Algora Publishing

| year = 2009

| isbn = 978-0-87586-708-3

}}

In March 1976 Western State was divided in Ogun, Ondo and Oyo. Jemibewon continued as governor of Oyo State. Later he became Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army.

Post army career

After retiring from the army Jemibewon earned a degree in law at the University of Lagos.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/05/24/20030524cov01.html

|title = Their Excellencies,What next?

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2003-05-24

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050113143643/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/05/24/20030524cov01.html

|archive-date = 2005-01-13

}}

He then opened a successful legal practice.{{cite book

| page = 262

| title = The foundations of Nigeria: essays in honor of Toyin Falola

| author = Toyin Falola

| publisher = Africa World Press

| year = 2003

| isbn = 1-59221-120-8

}}

He was also involved in palm oil trading.{{cite web

| url = http://madewel.com/

| title = Welcome to Madewell Nig. Limited

| publisher = Madewell Products Limited.

| access-date = 2010-02-18

}}

When Obasanjo was charged and convicted for alleged complicity in a coup plot in 1995, Jemibewon and General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma successfully interceded on his behalf with the military head of state General Sani Abacha.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2004/01/25/20040125cov02.html

|title = A President Under Pressure

|author1 = Oma Djebah

|author2 = Monday Philips Ekpe

|author3 = Lanre Issa-Onilu

|author4 = Oke Epia

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2004-01-25

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051201024451/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2004/01/25/20040125cov02.html

|archive-date = 2005-12-01

}}

Jemibewon was chairman of the constitution drafting committee of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 during preparations for the 1998/1999 democratic elections that ushered in the Nigerian Fourth Republic.{{cite web

|url = http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20080920056771

|title = Why Obasanjo derailed – Jemibewon

|author = Olayinka Oyebode

|date = 20 Sep 2008

|work = The Punch

|access-date = 2010-02-18

}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Appointed Minister for Police Affairs in Obasanjo's first cabinet in June 1999, he introduced a five-year plan for the recovery of the police, adding 33,000 police officers, setting up the Nigeria police service commission, and better equipping the police to cope with the task of internal security.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2002/05/29/20020529pol07.html

|title = Obasanjo: Three Years After

|author = Oma Djebah

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2002-05-29

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041225074744/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2002/05/29/20020529pol07.html

|archive-date = 2004-12-25

}}

Speaking on behalf of Obasanjo at the 9th International Anti-Corruption Conference in South Africa, in December 1999, David Jemibewon told the conference that "To sustain democracy, we have to keep itching fingers and greedy eyes off the public till. Those in power must be accountable to the people."{{cite web

| url = https://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/subjindx/134corru.htm

| title = Africa mounts drive against graft

| author = Ernest Harsch

| work = Africa Recovery, Vol.13#4 (December 1999)

| access-date = 2010-02-18

}}

In the run up to the April 2003 Senatorial elections for Kogi West, he was the main competitor to the incumbent Tunde Ogbeha for the PDP candidature.

He was unsuccessful in the bid, and Ogbeha went on to be elected for a second term.{{cite web

|url = http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/04/06/20030406cov03.html

|title = National Lawmakers: Likely Second Termers (1)

|author = Louis Achi

|work = ThisDay

|date = 2003-04-06

|access-date = 2010-02-18

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041228021659/http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/04/06/20030406cov03.html

|archive-date = 2004-12-28

}}

However, he remained a member of the PDP and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees.

In August 2003 Jemibewon was listed as a director of EBS Nigeria, a company relatively unknown before June 2006 when it emerged as a big player in a N2.5 billion contract for anti-retroviral drugs from the Federal Ministry of Health.{{cite web

|url = http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/special%20report/2006/sept/09/special-report-09-09-2006-001.htm

|work = Daily Sun

|title = On the trail of EBS

|author = EMMANUEL MAYAH

|date = September 9, 2006

|access-date = 2010-02-18

}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He is the proprietor of Jemibewon International Academy, a co-educational boarding school located at Km 20 on the Kabba-Ilorin highway, which was formally opened and dedicated on 20 July 2012 by the Catholic Bishop of Lokoja Diocese, Most Rev. Dr Martin Olorunmolu.{{cite web

|url = https://dailytrust.com/jemibewon-international-academy-graduates-pioneer-students-264264

|work = Daily Trust

|title = Jemibewon International Academy graduates pioneer students

|author = Itodo Daniel Sule

|date = August 5, 2018

|access-date = 2021-01-09

}}