Former Communications And Agro Minister, Eteng Okoi-Obuli Dies At 76

By CrossRiverWatch Admin

The late Chief Eteng Okoi-Obuli (Photo Credit: yakurrstudies.wordpress.com)

The Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources in the President Shehu Shagari administration, Eteng Okoi-Obuli has died aged 76.

Eteng died on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 in his home in Calabar, the Cross River State capital CrossRiverWatch gathered.

Eteng who served briefly as the Minister for Communication before been reappointed to head the agro ministry is also the maternal uncle to the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Barrister Okoi Obono-Obla.

The Nko native of Yakurr local government area was born in 1940 and studied law in the University of London where he was called to the English Bar in 1968.

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He worked as a banker in London and eventually returned to Nigeria where he enrolled into the Nigeria Law School and was called to the Bar in 1974.

The late Eteng joined politics and when the late President Shehu Shagari’s won the 1979 elections on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria, was appointed first as Minister for Communications (state) till 1982 when he was reappointed Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources.

His reign came to an end when a bloodless coup led by the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari toppled the Shagari’s government citing corruption and administrative incompetence. He was arrested among several other ministers and was incarceratedfor almost 2 years till General Ibrahim Babangida freed him after toppling Buhari’s administration in a bloodless coup in August 1985.

As at press time, it was still unclear whether funeral rites have been drawn.

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