Festus Okotie-Eboh

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (18 July 1912 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician who was the finance minister of Nigeria from 1957 to 1966 during the administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Okotie-Eboh was born to an Itsekiri Chief, Prince Okotie Eboh in Warri, a town along the Benin River in Niger Delta. He was a National Treasurer of the Nigerian First Republic party, NCNC. He was also a leader of the Federal Parliamentary Party of NCNC, replacing K.O. Mbadiwe.

Early life and business career Okotie Eboh was born Festus Samuel Edah in Benin River, Old Warri division. From 1932 to 1936, he attended Sapele Baptist School. Upon graduation, he clerked briefly in the Local District Office before returning to his alma mater as a teacher. In 1937, he gained employment at Bata Shoe Company as an accounting clerk.

Okotie-Eboh married in 1942, and, together with his wife, started a string of schools in Sapele. The first school was Sapele Boys Academy, followed with Zik's College of Commerce. In 1953, he started Sapele Academy Secondary School. In the 1940s and 1950s, Okotie-Eboh was a board member of Warri Ports Advisory Committee, Sapele Township Advisory Board and Sapele Town Planning Authority. In 1954, he was elected treasurer of the N.C.N.C. and was successful as the party's candidate to represent Warri division in the House of Representatives. He was nominated as the Federal Minister of Labour and Welfare in January, 1955, and two years later, he was made Finance Minister. His youngest daughter, Ajoritsedere Awosika, was a former civil servant. He was also said to be married to another itsekiri woman named Irene Dorti.

Death Okotie-Eboh was assassinated along with Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa in the military coup of 15 January 1966, which terminated the Nigerian First Republic. Two days before Okotie-Eboh's death, he met with Lee Kuan Yew. Lee said in a speech in 1993 that before his death, Okotie-Eboh was planning to leave government to focus on a starting a shoe factory.