Prince Abyssinia Akweke Nwafor Orizu (17 July 1914 – 1999) was a
Nigerian of
Igbo
Igbo may refer to:
* Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria
* Igbo language, their language
* anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria
See also
* Ibo (disambiguation)
* Igbo mythology
* Igbo music
* Igbo art
*
* Igbo-Ukwu, a ...
origin who served as
President of the Nigerian Senate
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...
from 1963 to 15 January 1966, during the
Nigerian First Republic. Orizu was also Acting
President of Nigeria
The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Nigeri ...
from late 1965 until the military coup of January 1966. He was a member of the
Nnewi
Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi Nort ...
Royal family. His nephew
Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III is the current Igwe (King) of
Nnewi
Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi Nort ...
Kingdom. Nwafor Orizu College of Education in
Nsugbe,
Anambra State, is named after him.
Background
Orizu was born in 1914 into the royal house of
Nnewi
Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi Nort ...
,
Anambra State, in southeast Nigeria, a son of Eze Ugbonyamba, Igwe Orizu I. Orizu went to the United States in 1939, earning a degree in government at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
and an M.A. degree at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
.
He was an advocate of the "horizontal", broad system of American education, as opposed to the narrow "perpendicular" British system, and earned the nickname "Orizontal", a play on his name and a reference to his constant discussion of the theme.
As discussed in his 1944 book, ''Without Bitterness'', he was a passionate advocate of introducing the American system to Nigeria.
He established The American Council on African Education (ACAE), which obtained numerous tuition scholarships from American sources for the benefit of African students.
Around 1949, Orizu bought the Enitona High School and Enitona printing press from a supporter for only £500, which he borrowed. Another supporter sold him a luxury bus on an installment plan. He established a newspaper known as ''The West Africa Examiner'' and became the managing director, while
M. C. K. Ajuluchukwu
Tribal chief, Chief Melie Chikelu Kafundu Ajuluchukwu known predominantly as M. C. K. Ajuluchukwu (1921 — 2003) was a Nigerian journalist, politician and editor. He was the first Secretary General for the Zikist Movement.
References
1 ...
was the editor.
Orizu went to
Enugu to console the striking miners after the shooting of 21 miners on 18 November 1949.
Possibly in reaction to a fiery speech that he made there, the British colonial authorities sentenced him to seven years in jail for allegedly misappropriating the funds of the ACAE. But later
Roy Wilkins
Roy Ottoway Wilkins (August 30, 1901 – September 8, 1981) was a prominent activist in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was his leadership of the National Association for the ...
, chairman of ACAE in the US, wrote a letter to Nnamdi Azikiwe ("Zik") exonerating Dr Nwafor Orizu of any financial impropriety.
Prison sentence
In September 1953, Orizu was convicted by a Nigerian magistrate on seven counts of fraud and theft of funds intended for student scholarships at American universities. He was later subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison.
Political career
Orizu ran successfully for election as an independent candidate to represent Onitsha Division, and became the chief whip in the Eastern House of Assembly. Later he joined with other independent candidates to form the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC).
He played a central role in helping Zik become premier of the Eastern Region, using his influence in the NCNC to persuade Professor
Eyo Ita to resign as premier of the Region. Zik appointed Orizu the minister of local Government.
[
]
Military coup
The President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe left the country in late 1965 first for Europe, then on a cruise to the Caribbean. Under the law, Orizu became Acting President during his absence and had all the powers of the President.
A coup was launched on 16 January 1966 by a group of disaffected young military officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. The army quickly suppressed the revolt but assumed power when it was evident that key politicians had been eliminated, including Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria upon independence.
Early life
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in December 1912 in modern-day ...
, Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello and Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.
Orizu made a nationwide broadcast, after he had briefed Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe on the phone on the decision of the cabinet, announcing the cabinet's "voluntary" decision to transfer power to the armed forces. Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi then made his own broadcast, accepting the "invitation".
On 17 January, Major General Ironsi established the Supreme Military Council in Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...
and effectively suspended the constitution.
Later career
After the coup, Orizu faded from the political scene but remained active in education. Before the civil war he had set up a high school, the Nigerian Secondary School, in Nnewi. He remained its proprietor until the state government took over all the schools after the defeat of Biafra. After that he continued as a teacher and an educator, publishing several books.[ Also, between 1974 and 1975, the government of the defunct East Central State, led by Dr. Ukpabi Asika, appointed him the Chairman of the State's Teachers' Service Commission in Enugu.
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Bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orizu, Nwafor
1915 births
1999 deaths
People from Anambra State
Columbia University alumni
Igbo politicians
Presidents of the Senate (Nigeria)
People from Nnewi
20th-century Nigerian politicians
Igbo royalty
Newspaper founders
People of colonial Nigeria