Peter Odili
{{Short description|Nigerian politician (born 1948)}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Peter Odili
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| office = 13th Governor of Rivers State
| term_start = 29 May 1999
| term_end = 29 May 2007
| deputy = Gabriel Toby
| predecessor = Sam Ewang
| successor = Celestine Omehia
| office2 = 2nd Deputy Governor of Rivers State
| term_start2 = 1992
| term_end2 = 1993
| governor2 = Rufus Ada-George
| predecessor2 = Frank Eke
| successor2 = Gabriel Toby
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|08|15|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Nigerian
| party = Peoples Democratic Party
| spouse = Mary Ukaego
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Politician
| profession =
| religion =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Peter Otunuya Odili (born 15 August 1948) is a Nigerian politician who was the third elected Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-21 |title=Passport Seizure: Court orders Immigration Service to pay Peter Odili N2 million fine |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/501887-passport-seizure-court-orders-immigration-service-to-pay-peter-odili-n2-million-fine.html |access-date=2022-03-02 |language=en-GB}} Odili is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Background
Peter Odili was born on 15 August 1948 in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria. Odili graduated from the Medical School of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and pursued post-graduate work in Tropical Medicine at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.{{cite web
|url=http://www.afdevinfo.com/htmlreports/peo/peo_2364.html
|title=Peter Odili
|publisher=AfDevInfo
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
Dr. Peter Odili is married to Justice Mary Ukaego Odili (b. 12 May 1952).{{cite web|url= http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=05/12/2007&qrTitle=Mrs.%20Odili%20at%2055:%20Celebrating%20humanity&qrColumn=WEEKEND%20FOCUS|title= Mrs. Odili at 55: Celebrating humanity|access-date= 2007-05-13|work= thetidenews.com|publisher= The Tide (Port Harcourt), Saturday, May 12, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717040950/http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=05%2F12%2F2007&qrTitle=Mrs.%20Odili%20at%2055%3A%20Celebrating%20humanity&qrColumn=WEEKEND%20FOCUS|archive-date= July 17, 2011|url-status= dead}}
In 1988/89, Dr. Odili was elected member and leader of Rivers State Delegates to the Constituent Assembly.
In 1992, he was elected as the Deputy Governor of Rivers State. After the Nigerian Third Republic ended, he was again elected to the National Constitutional Conference and became the Conference Committee Chairman on State Creation. Odili thereafter became the National Secretary of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN).
Governorship
Odili was elected Governor of Rivers State during the 1999 Rivers State gubernatorial election, and was reelected in April 2003.{{Cite web |title=Nigeria: Odili Wins In Rivers |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/199901110188.html |website=allAfrica}}
In September 2004, Amnesty International wrote an open letter to Odili expressing deep concerns for protection of human rights of civilians in and around Port Harcourt, detailing an increasingly alarming security situation in Rivers State, due to fighting allegedly between rival armed groups.{{cite web
|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr44/027/2004/en/
|title=The security situation in Rivers State: an open letter from Amnesty International to Peter Odili, State Governor of Rivers State
|date=15 September 2004
|publisher=Amnesty International
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
In December 2004, a gang of armed youths believed to be members of the Egbesu cult attacked Odili's convoy along the East-West Road in Port Harcourt killing two people, one a policeman {{cite web
|url = http://www.africanreview.org/events/paxafrica2008/aakinwale.pdf
|title = Circumscribing Conflicts in the Resources Endowed Niger Delta Communities of Nigeria
|author = Akeem Ayofe Akinwale
|publisher = African Review
|year = 2008
|access-date = 2009-10-18
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080723104445/http://www.africanreview.org/events/paxafrica2008/aakinwale.pdf
|archive-date = 2008-07-23
}}
In March 2009, the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Kayode Eso, blamed the crisis during Odili's period of office on both the state and the Federal Governments, particularly the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. The report outlined interwoven problems of failed governance, chieftaincy tussles, cultism, politics of acrimony and insurgency.{{cite web
|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200903100731.html
|title=Truth Commission Blames Rivers Crises On Odili, Obasanjo Govts
|author=Jimitota Onoyume
|date=11 March 2009
|publisher=Vanguard
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
During his governorship, Rivers State was in theory one of the wealthiest states in the country [i.e. Lagos state, Delta state and Rivers State, due to oil and other business infrastructure], but Odili instituted relatively few improvements.{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7279593.stm
|title=Nigeria ex-governor halts probe
|publisher=BBC News
|date=6 March 2008
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
In January 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu issued an interim report on the governor that pointed to severe implications of fraud, conspiracy, conversion of public funds, foreign exchange malpractice, money laundering, stealing and abuse of oath of office.{{cite web
|url = http://www.chatafrikarticles.com/articles/379/1/Interim-Report-of-the-EFCC-on-Governor-Peter-Odili/Page1.html
|title = Interim Report of the EFCC on Governor Peter Odili
|author = Nuhu Ribadu
|date = 4 January 2007
|publisher = Nigerian Affairs
|access-date = 18 October 2009
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090501183149/http://www.chatafrikarticles.com/articles/379/1/Interim-Report-of-the-EFCC-on-Governor-Peter-Odili/Page1.html
|archive-date = 2009-05-01
|url=http://www.pointblanknews.com/os1540.html
|title=EFCC's Report: How Odili looted over N100 billion Rivers fund
|publisher=PointBlank News
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
At around the same time Human Rights Watch issued a report detailing pervasive patterns of corruption and mismanagement at the state and local levels under Odili's administration.{{cite web
|publisher=Human Rights Watch
|url=https://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2007/01/30/chop-fine
|title=Chop Fine: The Human Rights Impact of Local Government Corruption in Rivers State, Nigeria
|date=January 2007
|access-date=2009-11-25}}
In February 2007, three months to the end of his second term in office, Odili filed a suit challenging the powers of the EFCC to probe his administration in Rivers State.{{cite web
|url = http://www.africanews.com/site/Nigeria_Attorney_General_Aondoaka_moves_to_stall/list_messages/13775
|title = NIGERIA ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL AONDOAKAA MOVES TO STALL PETER ODILI'S CORRUPTION CASE IN PORT HARCOURT.
|author = Wole Arisekola
|publisher = Streetjournal Magazine
|date = 10 December 2007
|access-date = 2009-10-18
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928064324/http://www.africanews.com/site/Nigeria_Attorney_General_Aondoaka_moves_to_stall/list_messages/13775
|archive-date = 28 September 2011
}}
In November 2006, Odili announced that he would run for president in the 2007 election under the ruling PDP.{{cite web
|url=http://www.beamnewsonline.com/N04/news4.html#Odili%20Bows%20to%20Pressure%20…declares%20for%20Presidency
|title=Odili Bows to Pressure …declares for Presidency
|date=4 December 2006
|publisher=Beam News
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
However a day before the PDP's presidential primaries held on 16 December 2006, Odili stepped down from the contest, paving the way for another governor, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, to emerge as the party's flag bearer.{{cite web
|url=http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2007/mar/211.html
|title=ODILI VS YAR´ADUA; OBASANJO'S DILEMMA DURING THE PDP NATIONAL CONVENTION
|author=Temple Chima Ubochi
|date=21 March 2007
|publisher=Nigeria World
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
Later career
In June 2008, Odili defended his record before the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, denying the charges that had been made against him.{{cite news
|url=http://www.focusnigeria.com/peter-odili.htm
|title=Peter Odili Appears at the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission
|author=Ashimole Felix
|date=June 23, 2008
|publisher=FocusNigeria
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
As of December 2007, the office of Attorney General then headed by Michael Aondoakaa had refused to file any defense in court against Odili's claim that the EFCC was not authorized to investigate his administration. In March 2008, a Port Harcourt court ruled that the EFCC could not investigate state finances. In September 2009, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim injunction stopping the EFCC from arresting, detaining, prosecuting or embarrassing Odili over a N189m bank debt.{{cite web
|url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/03/ex-gov-odili-gets-courts-relief-on-n189m-loan-assets/
|title=Ex-Gov Odili gets court's relief on N189m loan, assets
|date=3 September 2009
|author=Ise-Oluwa Ige
|publisher=Vanguard
|access-date=2009-10-18}}
However, a few days later the EFCC summoned Odili over alleged debts owed to five banks whose Managing Directors and board had recently been removed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).{{cite news|title=EFCC summons Odili, Okereke-Onyiuke, 5 others|url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/efcc-summons-odili-okereke-onyiuke-5-others/|access-date=29 September 2015|work=Vanguard|date=7 September 2009}}
In December 2009, the New York Times published an article about the kidnapping industry in Africa. The author talked to a man called Adiele Nwaeze (a professional kidnapper), who accused Odili of having paid him to help rig an election ten years ago by robbing ballot boxes. Odili denied the accusation.{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/magazine/06kidnapping-t.html?pagewanted=4&hp&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1260090027-nNMR3EOL3ow9GEx5QYMmMA
|title=The Hostage Business
|date=December 4, 2009
|work=New York Times
|access-date=2009-12-06
| first=Nicholas
| last=Schmidle}}
In September 2010, it was reported that former military head of state Ibrahim Babangida, who planned to be a presidential candidate in the 2011 election, was in discussions with Odili over being his running mate as vice-presidential candidate. The choice was due in part to a close relationship between Odili and Raymond Dokpesi, the director general of Babangida's campaign.{{cite web
|url = http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5618480-147/babangida_picks_odili_as_running_mate.csp
|title = Babangida picks Odili as running mate
|author = Soji Bamidele
|date = 14 September 2010
|access-date = 2010-09-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111113030204/http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5618480-147/babangida_picks_odili_as_running_mate.csp
|archive-date = 13 November 2011
}}
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070127071814/http://www.riversstatenigeria.net/index/6-Biography.php Official website of Rivers State Government]
- [http://www.onelga.com/Hisexcellency.htm Onelga.com - Peter Odili page]
{{RiversStateGovernors}}
{{Nigerian state governors 1999-2003 term}}
{{Nigerian state governors 2003-2007 term}}
{{Rivers State People's Democratic Party}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odili, Peter}}
Category:Governors of Rivers State
Category:Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party politicians
Category:University of Nigeria alumni
Category:Medical doctors from Rivers State
Category:Deputy governors of Rivers State
Category:People from Ogba–Egbema–Ndoni
Category:Peoples Democratic Party state governors of Nigeria