Dennis Chukude Osadebay

Dennis Chukude Osadebay was a Nigerian poet, journalist, and politician who played a prominent role in the Nigerian First Republic. He was one of the founding members of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1944 and served as its legal adviser and national vice-president. He was elected to the Western Region House of Assembly in 1951 and became the leader of opposition in 1954. He also represented Nigeria at several constitutional conferences in London. In 1960, he became the president of the Nigerian Senate and acted as the governor-general of Nigeria in 1961. He was the leader of the movement to create a Mid-Western Region out of the Western Region and became the first premier of the new region in 1963. He held this position until the military coup of 1966. He later joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1979 and became its national vice-chairman. He was also appointed as the pro-chancellor and chairman of the University of Lagos Governing Council in 1980. He died in 1994 at the age of 83. As a poet, Osadebay was one of the pioneers of Nigerian literature in English. He published his first collection of poems, Africa Sings, in 1952. His poems were influenced by his personal life, his political views, and his cultural background. He used both standard English and pidgin English to express his thoughts and feelings. He also experimented with different poetic forms and rhythms. Some of his notable poems include "Black Man's Troubles", "The Wise Old Man", "The Call of the River Nun", and ]"The Proud Man". He also wrote a memoir, Building a Nation, in 1978 and a history of Christianity in Asaba, One Hundred and Ten Years of Christianity in Asaba and Neighbouring Towns, in 1985.