The Secretary to the Government of the Federation
(SGF) in the then President Olusegun Obasanjo government and pioneer Minister
of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Ufot Ekaette, is dead. 81.
Late Ekaette, who was 81 at his death, was born in
1939 in Ikot Edor, Onna Local Government Area of present-day Akwa Ibom State,
and was said to have died last September 25, 2019.
A condolence message, from Akwa Ibom State
Governor, Udom Emmanuel, to the family acknowledged the contributions of the
deceased to the development of the state as a former deputy governor of the
state.
The governor in the message signed by his Chief
Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, said the departed elder statesman would be
celebrated for his contributions to the development of the state in particular
and Nigeria in general.
“He was a
thoroughbred public servant who was transparent, honest and a stickler for
excellence, qualities he brought to bear in the execution of the key offices of
public trust he held in the course of his illustrious career.
Late Ekaette was appointed the first Minister of
the Niger Delta Ministry on December 17, 2008, by the late President Umaru
Yar'Adua.
He left office in March 2010 when then acting
President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet.
He was the SGF and also served his state in many
capacities.
The late minister attended King’s College in Lagos
and graduated in 1960, and proceeded to University College, Ibadan, where he bagged
a BSc in Economics in 1964. He joined the Federal Civil Service on July 28,
1964. Ekaette was a principal secretary to the Head of State General Yakubu Gowon
from 1968 to 1975.
Later he served in the Federal Ministries of
Industries (1975); Information (1977 to 1979); Education (1979) and National
Planning (1979 to 1983). He was the Secretary of Public Service Department and
Head of Service (1984). He was also a Director of External Finance at the
Federal Ministry of Finance (1985 to 86).
Ekaette was appointed the Permanent Secretary,
Federal Ministry of Industries in January 1986; Permanent Secretary, Federal
Ministry of Works and Housing in 1988; Director-General, Directorate of Food,
Roads and Rural Infrastructure (June 1988 to March 1989); Director-General,
Federal Ministry of Social Development, Youth and Sports (1989) and
Director-General of Planning, Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning (1990).
In 1990, he was appointed Deputy Governor of Akwa
Ibom State in the Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga military government.
Ekaette was appointed SGF on May 29, 1999, by
President Olusegun Obasanjo, an office he held until the end of Obasanjo's
second term in May 2007.
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