Aper Aku

Aper Aku (1938–1988) was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria, in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, he left office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.

Background

Aper Aku was born in 1938 in Ikyobo, Ushongo Local Government Area, Benue State. He was of Tiv origin. He had his primary education at Aku Primary School between 1943 and 1947 and from 1948 to 1951, he attended the Senior Primary School, Mkar. He had his senior secondary education at Government College, Keffi, from 1952 to 1957, and then studied at Nigeria College of Arts and Science (later Ahmadu Bello University) from 1958 to 1961. He studied for a degree at Fourah Bay University, Sierra Leone (1961–1964). He became a teacher in 1964 at William Bristow Secondary School, Gboko, and later taught at Bauchi Provincial Secondary School and Government Secondary School, Gombe. He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1965–1966) for a post-graduate Course in Education. In 1968 he joined the Federal Government and worked with External Aid for Education and the Federal Ministry of Establishment. He was Principal of the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna (1970–1972) and a member of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan (1972–1976).

Political career

Aper Aku was appointed as Chairman of Kwande Local Government Council in 1977 by Abdullahi Shelleng, Benue state governor. He presided over a hostile council because the councillors belonged to different factions; some councillors where loyal to Joseph Tarka, Akus mentor and some were loyal to Paul Unongo, a leader of another political camp. However, his administration was perceived as honest and effective. Aku resigned as chairman of the local council in 1978 and subsequently entered the Benue State primary race for governor under the banner of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He won the NPN primary over challengers such as Isaac Shaahu and George Atedze. In 1979, he went on to become the elected Governor of Benue State and was re-elected in 1983.

Aku faced severe problems as governor in a state with a long history of neglect, particularly in the southern area which was inhabited by minority groups. However, the state has fertile land and plentiful rainfall, with great agricultural potential. Aku encouraged mass agricultural production, and during his tenure the state produced bumper harvests of local crops such as yams, cassava, soya beans, cowpea, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, banana, mangoes and oranges. The Government established a number of industries to produce fertilizer and process agricultural products, located close to the areas where the produce was grown. Aku launched commercial enterprises such as the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi. He initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in Makurdi.

Buhari jailed Aku and most of the other Governors, setting up military tribunals to investigate their conduct while in office. Aku's health was broken by the harsh conditions in jail, and he died in 1988 shortly after being released. Aku left two wives and four children.