Birthdays

Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, retired soldier, administrator and businessman, 74, December 9. Born in Takum Taraba State, he was educated at Takum Elementary School, 1944-1950; St. Bartholomew’s Primary School, Wusasa, Kaduna State, 1950-1952; Benue Provincial Secondary School, now Government College, Kastina-Ala, Benue State, 1953-1958; Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, 1959-1960; Nigerian Military Training Centre, Kaduna, 1960; Mons Officer Cadet Training School, Aldershot, UK 1961; School of Infantry,  Hythe and Warminster,  UK, 1962; Special Warfare Centre, Fort Bragg, North, Carolina, USA, 1963; British Army Staff College, Camberley, UK, 1967. Danjuma joined the Nigerian Army in 1960, and served as a company commander, United Nations, UN; General Officer Commanding, GOC, 3rd Division, Nigerian Army, 1971-1975;  chief of army staff, Nigerian Army, 1975-1979; retired from the Nigerian Army as a lieutenant general on October 2, 1979. He was appointed director, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, 1979-1982; appointed minister of Defence, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.

Adebayo Adedeji, educationist, administrator and economist, 81, December 21. Born in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, he was educated at the University College, Ibadan, 1953-1954; Leicester University College, 1955-1958; Harvard University, 1960-1961, and the University of London, 1967. Adedeji was appointed assistant secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning, Western Region, 1958-1961;  principal assistant secretary, finance, 1962-1963; chairman, Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, WNBC, 1966-1967; member, Nigeria National Manpower Board, 1968-1971; federal commissioner for economic development and reconstruction, 1971-1975; one time chairman, Directorate of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC; member, committee on the restructuring of the economic and social sectors, United Nations, 1975; fellow,  African Academy of Sciences, 1991, and has served  as economic adviser to many African countries.

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Joseph Chiaka Ajaero, deputy national chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, 47, December 17. Born in Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State, he was educated at  Alvan Ikoku College of Education and University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He later had a postgraduate diploma in Journalism from the Times Journalism Institute, Lagos, and master’s degree in Industrial Labour Relations from the University of Lagos. Ajaero worked as a journalist with Vanguard newspapers and rose to the position of assistant labour editor. In 2001, he joined the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, as head of training and information department. He  is general secretary of the union, deputy national chairman of NLC and chairman, co-ordinating committee, Public Service International, Nigeria.

Honoured

James Victor Gbeho, president of ECOWAS for statesmanship and excellence in International Diplomacy. The president was among 109 citizens honoured during the 2011 National Honours Awards ceremony by   John Evans Atta Mills, president of Ghana, for their selfless service to the society. A seasoned diplomat and former member of Parliament, Gbeho had served as foreign minister and later policy adviser to the president of Ghana. He also served in his country’s missions in China, India, Nigeria, New York (UN/USA), Germany, United Kingdom and Geneva (UN/Switzerland) among others. President Gbeho was a member of the United Nations Security Council between 1986 and 1987,  during which period he was twice president of the Council. He also served as special representatives of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia from 1994 to 1995. Between 1995 and 1996, he also served as special representative of the chairman of ECOWAS in Liberia. He assumed the ECOWAS Commission presidency in March 2010, following his unanimous election by the 37th Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the 15-nation regional organisation.

Died                

Madam Catherine Anyawu Ughamadu (Nee Ogbuogwalu), president general of Nibo Town Women General Assembly. She was aged 81 years. Born on April 20, 1930, in Nibo, Awka South local govt  area, Anambra State, she had her primary education at St Matthew’s Primary School, Nibo. Ughamadu was a successful businesswoman who lived in Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Sokoto and Katsina. Ughamadu, who was popularly called Oduko, was the co-ordinator of discharged prisons inmates’ resettlement camp, Ekwulobia, Aguata, during the civil war, 1967-1970. She was a devout Christian of Anglican Communion; married to the late Pa Clement Nwankwo Ughamadu.  She is  survived by many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and relatives among whom is Ndu Ughamadu, former editor Daily Times; one time NNPC general manager, public affairs and spokesman for the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as PDP presidential candidate and president-elect. She will be buried  in the family compound at  Nibo  on January 27, 2012.