Angelo Onegi Obel (4 April 1932 – 16 December 2008), was a

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and former adviser to the

President of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The president leads the executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander-in-chief of the Uganda People's Defence Force. The in ...

. He also served as the

Governor of the Bank of Uganda The Governor of the Bank of Uganda is chief executive officer and the chairman of the board of directors of the Bank of Uganda. The current governor was Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, who was first appointed to this position on 1 January 2001, and wa ...

from 1973 to 1978.

Background and education

Obel was born on 4 April 1932, in the village of ''Pacego Pumvuga'', Panyango sub-county, ''Jonam County'' in today's

Nebbi District Nebbi District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its main municipal, commercial and administrative centre, Nebbi, the location of the district headquarters. Location Nebbi District is bordered by Madi Okollo District to the nor ...

West Nile sub-region West Nile sub-region, previously known as West Nile Province and West Nile District, is a sub-region in north-western Uganda, in the Northern Region of Uganda. Location The sub-region is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the s ...

. At that time, the West Nile sub-region was known as ''West Nile District''. In the early 1940s he attended ''Ngetta Catholic Primary School in

Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...

, before attending junior secondary school at ''St. Aloysius College'' in Nyapea, Nebbi District, graduating from there in 1948. In 1949, he was admitted to

Namilyango College Namilyango College is a boys-only boarding middle and high school located in Mukono District in the Central Region of Uganda, whose history and excellence in sports and academics have made it one of the most prestigious schools in Uganda. It is U ...

, a prestigious all-boys boarding secondary school, graduating from there in 1953, with the ''Ordinary Cambridge School Certificate'' (O-Level). Later he enrolled in an overseas correspondence school and obtained the ''Advanced Cambridge School Certificate'' (A-Level). Still later, he enrolled in Assumption University, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, graduating with the degree of

Bachelor of Arts in Economics The Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon), or the "Bachelor of Applied Economics", is a bachelor's degree awarded by many universities and colleges for completion of an undergraduate program in economics, econometrics, or applied economics; the ...

. He transferred to the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, where he obtained the degree of Master of Arts in Economics. He returned to Uganda in 1965.

Career

After graduating from

, Obel became employed by the

Uganda Government Uganda is a presidential republic in which the President of Uganda is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government business. There is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is ...

, as a clerical officer in accountancy in

and

Arua Arua is a city and commercial centre within the Arua District in the Northern Region of Uganda. Location Arua is approximately , by road, north-west of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda, Arua is about , by road, west of Gulu, the ...

. When he returned from further studies in

, he took up employment in the Ministry of Finance, serving as Commissioner for Taxation. In 1968, he was transferred to

Bank of Uganda The Bank of Uganda ( sw, Benki Kuu ya Uganda) is the central bank of Uganda. Established in 1966, by Act of Parliament, the bank is wholly owned by the government but is not a government department. History In 1979 and again in 1987, the Ba ...

as the deputy governor, from 1968 until 1973. In 1973, he was appointed

, serving in that capacity in 1978. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 constitution of Uganda. His efforts towards developing the economy and instructure of Uganda and corporate interests often led to conflict and in 2006, for instance, he was involved in a legal battle over the construction of a bridge which jeopardized the livelihoods of local farmers.

Other considerations

Onegi Obel died on 16 December 2008 from natural cases. He was survived by his wife, Agnes Atoh, many children and many grandchildren. One of his sons is Geoffrey Onegi Obel, who once served as the

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of National Social Security Fund.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obel, Onegi Ugandan politicians Ugandan economists 1932 births 2008 deaths University of Toronto alumni People from West Nile sub-region People from Nebbi District Governors of the Bank of Uganda People educated at Namilyango College Ugandan Roman Catholics