Adego Erhiawarie Eferakeya (9 July 1940 – 16 April 2019) was a Nigerian politician who was elected senator for the

Delta Central Senatorial District Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State, Nigeria covers 8 local governments which include Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Sapele, Okpe, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu and Uvwie Uvwie (/hu-we-ɛ/), is a principal Urban Local Government ...

of Delta State,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

in April 2007. He ran on the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

(PDP) platform.

Background

Adego Erhiawarie Eferakeya was born at Adagbrasa of Aghalokpe, Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria, on 9 July 1940. He gained a B Pharm from the

University of Ife Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...

in 1969, a PhD from the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

Medical Centre (United States) in 1975, and an MD (Pharmacologist and Toxicologist, Physician) from the University of Kansas in 1977. He became a Professor of Pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Benin in 2005. Before running for the Senate, he was Chairman of the Hospital Management Board; Head of the Department of Pharmacology; Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy; Secretary of the Urhobo Political Forum Elders Council and Grand Knight of the Sepele Sub-Council. He has authored or coauthored a number of papers, particularly dealing with pharmacy and blood pressure.

Senate career

Eferakeya was elected to the

Nigerian Senate The Senate is the upper chamber of Nigeria's bicameral legislature, the National Assembly of Nigeria. The National Assembly (popularly referred to as NASS) is the nation's highest legislature, whose power is to make laws, is summarized in chapt ...

for the Delta Central constituency in 2007 on the platform of the

(PDP). He was appointed to committees on Privatization, Health, Ethics & Petition, Establishment & Public Service and the Environment. In March 2008, there was controversy about the N300 million unspent 2007 budget of the Federal Ministry of Health. Some members of the Senate Health Committee visited

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

on a trip funded by the ministry. Eferakeya went on the trip, but denied receiving any of the N10 million allegedly handed to members of the committee. He called on the chairman of the committee, Senator

Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello Iyabo Obasanjo (born 27 April 1967) is a former Nigerian senator and the daughter of former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and his wife Oluremi Obasanjo. Early life and education Obasanjo attended Corona School in Victoria Island, L ...

to explain what happened to the money. The

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud (419 fraud) and money laundering. The EFCC was established in 2003, partially in response to pre ...

(EFCC) arraigned former Health Minister,

Adenike Grange Adenike Grange is a paediatrician, professor, consultant, author and former Nigerian Minister in charge of the Federal Ministry of Health (Nigeria), Federal Ministry of Health. Appointed on the 25th of July 2007, she was the first female Minist ...

and nine others over corruption, including Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. In May 2009, Eferakeya gave 100 motorcycles to youths in his constituency at a ceremony in his senatorial office in Eferakeya Hospital, Amukpe near

Sapele ''Entandrophragma cylindricum'' is a tree of the genus ''Entandrophragma'' of the family ''Meliaceae''. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli ( ) or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu. Origin of the name The name ''sap ...

, Delta State. In July 2009, he was among senators who called for the creation of new states as part of the process to amend the 1999 constitution. In October 2009, he led the Senate debate on a bill seeking to establish a national DNA data bank to help in the investigation of crime and identification of unknown corpses. The bill passed its second reading. He objected to the 4 October deadline by the Federal government for ending the amnesty it had granted to militants in the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitical ...

, saying termination of the amnesty was premature.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eferakeya, Adego Erhiawarie 2019 deaths 1940 births Peoples Democratic Party members of the Senate (Nigeria) 21st-century Nigerian politicians People from Delta State