Melford Okilo

Melford Obiene Okilo (30 November 1933 – 5 July 2008) was a Nigerian politician who served as a member of parliament from 1956 to 1964 and as a minister during the Nigerian First Republic. He was the first elected governor of Rivers State, Nigeria, serving from 1979 to 1983 during the Nigerian Second Republic. Later he represented Bayelsa East as a senator in the Nigerian Fourth Republic from 1999 to 2003.

Early career

Okilo was born on 30 November 1933 at Emakalakala, Ogbia, Bayelsa State, and was of Ijaw origin. He qualified as a lawyer, but entered politics at the age of 23. Okilo was a member of parliament between 1956 and 1959. In December 1959, he was re-elected to represent the Brass constituency on the Niger Delta Congress platform. The prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, later appointed him parliamentary secretary and minister. He played a significant role in the enactment of the Niger Delta Development Board (1961), which sought to address problems of the neglected Niger Delta region.

While visiting New York in 1965, he came across a book about Walter Russell, The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe, which had a profound influence on his thought. Walter Russell's University of Science and Philosophy later published his books, and in the late 1990s, he served as president of the university.

During the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon, Okilo served in the Rivers State government, first as Commissioner for Education, and then as Commissioner for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources, from 1971 to 1975. In July 1986, he was acquitted of the charges against him and regained his freedom following a judicial review of the tribunals and later freed by Ibrahim Babangida.

Later career

In June 1989, Okilo was a speaker at a conference on World Balance: Action to Save our Planet held in Aspen, Colorado. In January 1994, he was a member of a ministerial committee that toured Ogoniland following disturbances by Ogoni protesters against Shell activities in the area. Although the committee's report was sympathetic to the plight of minorities in the oil-producing areas, little was done.

Okilo was dropped from the government in July 1995 as the military consolidated their power.

Fourth republic

In January 1999, shortly before the return to democracy and while running for office, Okilo was briefly detained by the outgoing military government following disturbances among the Ijaw in the Niger Delta. Okilo was elected Senator for Bayelsa East on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, serving from May 1999 to May 2003, but failed to be re-elected in 2003.

He remained a director of the University Of Science And Philosophy, and became a director of the board of Vision In Action, an institute formed in 2003 to share and communicate experience on issues of leadership, creativity, visionary and strategic thinking. In 2005, he read his own obituary following an erroneous story that he had died. Later he addressed a press conference, saying he was in a coma for four days and was mistaken for dead.