Mbazulike Amaechi

Mbazulike Amaechi was a Nigerian elder statesman who played a prominent role in the struggle for independence and the development of the country. He was born in Ukpor, Anambra State, on June 16, 1929. He attended St. Peter's School, Asaba, and St. Patrick's College, Calabar, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he studied History and Political Science. He was a founding member of the Zikist Movement, a radical nationalist group that advocated for the liberation of Nigeria from colonial rule. He was arrested and detained several times by the British authorities for his political activities. He became the Secretary General of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) Youth Wing, and later the National Secretary of the party. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1959, and appointed as the first Minister of Aviation in 1960. He was responsible for establishing the Nigerian Airways and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre. He also initiated the construction of the Lagos International Airport. He was one of the few politicians who survived the January 15, 1966 coup that ended the First Republic. He remained active in politics during the Second Republic, and was a founding member of the People's Redemption Party (PRP). He later joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), and contested for the governorship of Anambra State in 1983, but lost to Jim Nwobodo. He retired from active politics after the military coup of 1983, and devoted his time to writing and philanthropy. He authored several books, including Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War, A Political History of Modern Nigeria, and The Story of Zikism. He was conferred with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2008. He was also honoured with a Doctor of Letters degree by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in 2019. He was married to Chinelo Amaechi, who died in 2021. He had no children. He died peacefully in his hometown of Ukpor, on November 1, 2022, at the age of 93. He was widely regarded as a patriot, a statesman, and a nationalist.