Tamunoemi Sokari David-West (August 26, 1936 – November 11, 2019) was a Nigerian academic, social critic, and federal minister.

Academia

David-West was born in

Buguma Buguma City is a larger town in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area and base of the Kalabari Kingdom, a Nigerian traditional state There are many traditional states in Nigeria. A partial list ...

, Kalabari, in what is now

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa ...

. He received his higher education at the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 19 ...

(1956–1958) and earned a BSc degree at Michigan State University (1958–1960), an MSc degree at Yale University (1960–1962), and a PhD degree at McGill University (1964–1966). David-West was consultant virologist and senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan in 1969 and was subsequently promoted to professor of virology in 1975.Odimegwu Onwumere, "Amaechi, David-West and I," ''Research Nexus'', 11 April 2011.
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Government

David-West served in Nigerian government as commissioner of education and a member of the Executive Council of Rivers State (1975–1979), as a member of the fifty-person Constitution Drafting Committee for the Federal Military Government of General Murtala Muhammed (1979), as federal minister of petroleum and energy under General Muhammadu Buhari (1984–1985), and as minister of mines, power, and steel under General Ibrahim Babangida (1986). He was eventually removed as minister and arrested by the Babangida regime for allegedly contributing to the economic adversity of the country; He was discharged and acquitted of these charges by Nigeria's Special Appeal Court on 8 August 1991.

Politics

David-West was an outspoken and controversial critic of Nigerian government policy since his purge and arrest under the military regime of General Babangida. David-West criticized the unconstitutionality of the advisory council established by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, and he voiced caution against government unreservedly opening its doors to United States intelligence.Tunde Babalola, "Tam David West Warns FG over Al Qaeda," ''African Examiner'', 14 May 2011
/ref> Although he was not affiliated with any political party, David-West supported Chibuike Amaechi of the right-wing-leaning People's Democratic Party (Nigeria), People's Democratic Party for reelection as governor of Rivers State. Muhammad Bello, "David West, Horsfall, Isokariari Endorse Amaechi," ''AllAfrica'', 18 March 2011.
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Personal life

David-West died on 11 November 2019. His death was mourned by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Publications

David-West is the author of academic papers in virology that have appeared in scholarly journals such as ''Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology'' (1966), ''Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene'' (1973), ''Intervirology'' (1974), and ''Journal of Hygiene'' (1974). He also wrote the book ''Philosophical Essays: Reflections on the Good Life'' (1980), in which he describes himself as a follower of British analytic philosopher and social critic Bertrand Russell. David-West's lecture in philosophy “God, Nature and the Universe” (1981) was delivered at the University of Ibadan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:David-West, Tam 1936 births 2019 deaths Rivers State Commissioners of Education Petroleum ministers of Nigeria McGill University alumni Michigan State University alumni Yale University alumni University of Ibadan alumni Academic staff of the University of Ibadan Educators from Rivers State People from Buguma