Murtala Hamman-Yero Nyako, GCON, CFR: rcds, D.Agric. (H.C.) (born 27 August 1942) was elected Executive Governor of
Adamawa State
Adamawa state () is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west, and Taraba to the southwest, while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon. It tak ...
,
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 ...
, taking office in May 2007.
[SPPU Adamawa State Government, " ww.adamawastatesppu.org]
Prior to then he served in the Navy, at one time being military governor of
Niger State
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
, and being appointed Chief of Naval Staff in December 1989.
[
]
Early life
Murtala Hamman-Yero Nyako was born at
Mayo-Belwa, Adamawa State on 27 August 1943.
[
His father, Alhaji Hamman-Yero, was a notable merchant and produce buying agent, whose mercantile activities was directly responsible for the establishment of John Holts and Sons Ltd centre at Mayo-Belwa. His mother, Hajiya Maryam Daso, was a housewife who was keen on Islamic studies and herbal medicine.
He started his western education at Mayo-Belwa Elementary School in January 1952, proceeded to Yola Middle School in January 1955 and commenced his secondary school education in the same school in January 1958.][
He was noted whilst there for his academic achievements and sporting prowess.
]
Naval Career Service
Nyako joined the Royal Nigerian Navy in June 1963 as an officer cadet, commenced his officer training at the Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
, Dartmouth, England in September 1963, was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in September 1965 and completed his initial naval training in September 1965.[
Nyako returned to Nigeria in October 1966 to serve in the ]Nigerian Navy
The Nigerian Navy (NN) is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is among the largest navies on the African continent, consisting of several thousand personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.
History
The Nigerian Navy owes its origin to ...
until September 1993. During that period, he held a number of on-board and shore appointments. He was at one time a Commanding Officer of a Patrol craft, a Landing craft and the first missile carrying ship of the Nigerian Navy.
In February 1976, General Murtala Muhammed
Murtala Ramat Muhammad (8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian general who led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi military regime and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War ...
appointed Nyako governor of the newly formed Niger State, which had been split out from Sokoto State
Sokoto State (Hausa: Jihar Sokoto Fula: Leydi Sokoto 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤧𞤮𞥅𞤳𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤮𞥅) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country on the national border with the Niger, Republic o ...
. He served in this post until December 1977.
Later he became the Chief of Naval Operations at the Naval Headquarters, the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command and the Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Training Command from where he was appointed the Chief of Naval Staff in January 1990. Two years later, he was appointed the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff and retired from the Service in September 1993 with the rank of Vice Admiral.[
]
Post Naval Career and Agricultural Activities
Nyako was born a cattle owner as his mother had been allocated some cows for her offspring before he was born. He was, therefore, most involved with cattle rearing and later general agricultural development while he was in the Naval Service. The main issue as he understood it was improving substantially the productivity of Nigeria's agricultural units and the quality of their products. He commenced a sustainable cross-breeding programme of his local cattle with exotic superior sires in 1990 with very satisfactory results. He also got involved in the production of horticultural crops, and his first commercial export of musk melon
''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of ''Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without a musky aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such a ...
s to Europe using chartered aircraft took place in January 1990. Exotic mangoes from his mango orchard of 50,000 trees were first exported to Europe in 1993. He is also presently involved in the modern production of dates, passionfruit, banana, pasture development, breeding of goats and fish farming.[
]
Nyako is the President of the Horticultural Crops Growers Association of Nigeria, the Practicing Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Apex Farmers Association of Nigeria. He is a patron of numerous farmers' commodity associations in the country. Admiral is a successful integrated farmer of international repute. He is sole owner of one of the largest dairy farm in the country, Sebore (EPZ) Farms. In addition, Nyako owns the largest mango farm in the country leading to him being known as Baba Mai Mangoro (BMM).[
]
Political career and impeachment
Nyako entered politics in 2006. He was elected Governor of Adamawa State in April 2007. In February 2008 the Election Petition Appeal Tribunal annulled his election, alleging electoral malpractices. The House Speaker James Barka
James Shaibu Barka (born 1961) was elected a member of the Adamawa State, Nigeria House of Assembly, and was appointed Speaker. When Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako
Murtala Hamman-Yero Nyako, GCON, CFR: rcds, D.Agric. (H.C.) (born 27 Augus ...
was sworn in as Acting Governor on 26 February 2008.
A fresh election was run, and Nyako was reelected with a landslide victory taking all 21 Local Government Areas, resuming office on 29 April 2008.
Soon after, the House initiated moves to impeach Nyako, but was dissuaded after the personal intervention of President Umaru Yar'Adua
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...
.
The relationship improved, and in March 2010 the Adamawa State House of Assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Nyako, describing him as a "messiah" to the people of the state.
In 2012 after the Governor's first tenure, he ran for a second term in the 2012 Adamawa State gubernatorial election and was once again re-elected.
On 15 July 2014, the governor was impeached as the state House of Assembly deliberated on the report of an investigative panel that probed allegations of financial misconduct against him. The report found the governor guilty of all the 16 allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by the House.
On 11 February 2016 the Federal Court of Appeal declared the impeachment null and void and ordered that all his entitlements accrued from the date of impeachment be paid to him. The judgment was upheld on 16 December 2016 by the Supreme Court of Nigeria but declined to reinstate him.
Corruption allegations and trial
Starting in 2015, 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 ...
accused Nyako and his son, Abdul-Aziz Nyako
Abdul-Aziz Murtala Nyako (born 19 December 1970) is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Adamawa State. He represents Adamawa central in the current 8th National Assembly. Senator Nyako is the chairman of the Special Duties Commit ...
along with several other defendants, of a 37-count charge of criminal conspiracy, theft, abuse of office, and money laundering totaling over ₦29 million. The trial began on 7 July 2015 with the EFCC closing its case four years later on 3 November 2019, having called 21 witnesses; the defense then filed a no case to answer
No case for the defendant to answer (sometimes shortened to no case to answer) is a term in the criminal law of some Commonwealth states, whereby a defendant seeks acquittal without having to present a defence, because of the insufficiency of the ...
submission. Judge Okon Abang of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court dismissed the submission in July 2021 before ordering the defense to present its case in October of the same year.
Accolades
Nyako has been a recipient of an honorary Doctorate Degree of Agriculture from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta is one of the higher institutions of learning owned and run by the Federal government of Nigeria.
History
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, or FUNAAB, was estab ...
; University of Technology Minna, (2008); University of Technology, Yola (2009) and the National Awards of Commander of Federal Republic (CFR) in 1993, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON) in 1999 and another Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2002.
Nyako is married with children.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyako, Murtala
1943 births
Living people
Nigerian Muslims
Politics of Nigeria
Governors of Niger State
Governors of Adamawa State
All Progressives Congress politicians
Chiefs of Naval Staff (Nigeria)