Alabo Graham-Douglas
Encyclopedia
Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas (born 8 May 1939) was appointed Nigeria
n Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in 1989, then Minister of Aviation in General Ibrahim Babangida
's cabinet.
In 1999 he was appointed Minister of Labour and Productivity, and in 2000 Minister of Tourism in the Olusegun Obasanjo cabinet, leaving office in January 2001. He remains a force in Rivers State
politics.
Local Government Area of Rivers State
. He is of Ijaw origin. His brother, Napo Graham-Douglas, was the first indigenous Attorney-General of Nigeria,
He attended secondary schools in Lagos
and Port Harcourt. He studied at Acton Technical School, London (1963–1965) and then at the University of Lagos
(1965–1969).
He earned a BSc. in Botany and Zoology.
He started work with the Nigerian Petroleum Refinery Company, Port Harcourt (1969–1977).
He became managing director of Togiscani Nigeria, a construction company (1978–1985) and CEO of Road Haulage Company and Magroad Enterprises.
He was also chairman of the Binterteco Nigeria, Pabod Finance and Investment and Waterglass Boat Yard.
In 2000, Graham-Douglas was appointed Provincial Grand Master of the Freemason's Lodge in Calabar
.
.
In this role, he completed the Alfred Diete-Spiff
Civic Centre, founded the Sports Institute of Isaka and initiated construction of the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
He also gained approval to establish the Rivers State College of Science and Technology.
He created, produced and directed the first Rivers Carnival, Carnival '88 with the theme of Unity in Cultural Diversity.
In 1989 the military government of Ibrahim Babangida
appointed him Federal Minister for Social Development, Youths and Sports. During his tenure, the separate Ministry of Women Affairs was established.
He was moved to the Ministry of Aviation where he oversaw the deregulation of the aviation industry. He was also a member of the Special Tenders Board, which developed the Abuja FCT.
Several years later, in November 2003, a judicial commission of inquiry into management of BiafraNigeria Airways between 1983 and 1999 issued a report that indicted Graham-Douglas and others for mismanagement and decisions that led to huge losses.
In 1992 Graham-Douglas became chairman of the Southern Minorities Movement, one of the groups that eventually merged into the People's Democratic Party
(PDP). He was a candidate in the PDP primaries for the presidential nomination in 1998, losing to Olusegun Obasanjo, who went on to become president.
In July 2000, Graham-Douglas was re-deployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In November 2000 he headed a delegation that visited China, where he signed the 2000-2002 Executive Plan of Cultural and Educational Exchange between China and Nigeria.
In December 2000 he hosted the Africa Travel Association's Fourth Ecotourism Symposium in Abuja. He described ecotourism as responsible tourism, saying "Ecotourism conserves the natural environments and sustains the well-being of local people".
Graham-Douglas was dropped from Obasanjo's cabinet in January 2001.
An elder statesman in Rivers State
politics, in 1999 Graham Douglas and Marshal Harry, Chairman of the PDP in the State, settled for Dr Peter Odili
as a consensus candidate for governor.
By October 2002 Graham-Douglas was engaged in a very public dispute with Odili.
He was strongly opposed to Odili's reelection.
He said of Odili that "he has no respect for good governance and we have a right to call him to order".
In January 2007, following the PDP primaries in Rivers State in which Riverine candidates performed poorly compared to Uplanders, the Ijaw Consultative Assembly which Graham-Douglas had founded launched an attack on Ijaws who had served in Odili's government, apparently in a move to reverse the selection of Rotimi Amaechi
as PDP candidate for governor.
This was a reversal of his position in 2003 when he had said the Ikwerre
s from Rivers East should take their turn after Peter Odili.
Later he became a supporter of Amaechi.
However, in February 2010 Graham-Douglas disagreed with Amaechi about marginalization of the Kalabari
people, claiming problems were due to longstanding government neglect combined with efforts to cut oil-producing areas out of the Kalabari region. Amaechi took the position that Kalabari leaders themselves were to blame, and should do more to develop their communities and discourage militancy.
Talking of the Niger delta crisis in an interview in October 2009, Graham-Douglas blamed the problems in part on the elections of 2003 when the boys were given arms and used to disrupt the polls. He said the recent amnesty was progress, but not enough. More should be done to provide local housing and employment.
He was among leaders who that month protested the poor performance and lack of activity of the Ministry of Niger Delta.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in 1989, then Minister of Aviation in General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
's cabinet.
In 1999 he was appointed Minister of Labour and Productivity, and in 2000 Minister of Tourism in the Olusegun Obasanjo cabinet, leaving office in January 2001. He remains a force in Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
politics.
Background
Graham-Douglas was born on 8 May 1939 in Abonnema in the Akuku-ToruAkuku-Toru
Akuku-Toru is a Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Abonnema.It has an area of 1,443 km² and a population of 156,006 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 504....
Local Government Area of Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
. He is of Ijaw origin. His brother, Napo Graham-Douglas, was the first indigenous Attorney-General of Nigeria,
He attended secondary schools in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
and Port Harcourt. He studied at Acton Technical School, London (1963–1965) and then at the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
(1965–1969).
He earned a BSc. in Botany and Zoology.
He started work with the Nigerian Petroleum Refinery Company, Port Harcourt (1969–1977).
He became managing director of Togiscani Nigeria, a construction company (1978–1985) and CEO of Road Haulage Company and Magroad Enterprises.
He was also chairman of the Binterteco Nigeria, Pabod Finance and Investment and Waterglass Boat Yard.
In 2000, Graham-Douglas was appointed Provincial Grand Master of the Freemason's Lodge in Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
.
Early political career
Graham-Douglas became Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Culture in 1986 in the Rivers State governmentRivers State government
The Rivers State government consists of elected representatives and appointed officials responsible for the government of Rivers State, Nigeria....
.
In this role, he completed the Alfred Diete-Spiff
Alfred Diete-Spiff
Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff was the first Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria after it was created from part of the old Eastern Region, Nigeria. He held office from May 1967 until July 1975 during the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon....
Civic Centre, founded the Sports Institute of Isaka and initiated construction of the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
He also gained approval to establish the Rivers State College of Science and Technology.
He created, produced and directed the first Rivers Carnival, Carnival '88 with the theme of Unity in Cultural Diversity.
In 1989 the military government of Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
appointed him Federal Minister for Social Development, Youths and Sports. During his tenure, the separate Ministry of Women Affairs was established.
He was moved to the Ministry of Aviation where he oversaw the deregulation of the aviation industry. He was also a member of the Special Tenders Board, which developed the Abuja FCT.
Several years later, in November 2003, a judicial commission of inquiry into management of BiafraNigeria Airways between 1983 and 1999 issued a report that indicted Graham-Douglas and others for mismanagement and decisions that led to huge losses.
In 1992 Graham-Douglas became chairman of the Southern Minorities Movement, one of the groups that eventually merged into the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP). He was a candidate in the PDP primaries for the presidential nomination in 1998, losing to Olusegun Obasanjo, who went on to become president.
Fourth Republic
President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Graham-Douglas Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity in June 1999.In July 2000, Graham-Douglas was re-deployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In November 2000 he headed a delegation that visited China, where he signed the 2000-2002 Executive Plan of Cultural and Educational Exchange between China and Nigeria.
In December 2000 he hosted the Africa Travel Association's Fourth Ecotourism Symposium in Abuja. He described ecotourism as responsible tourism, saying "Ecotourism conserves the natural environments and sustains the well-being of local people".
Graham-Douglas was dropped from Obasanjo's cabinet in January 2001.
An elder statesman in Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
politics, in 1999 Graham Douglas and Marshal Harry, Chairman of the PDP in the State, settled for Dr Peter Odili
Peter Odili
Peter Otunuya Odili was the thirteenth Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:...
as a consensus candidate for governor.
By October 2002 Graham-Douglas was engaged in a very public dispute with Odili.
He was strongly opposed to Odili's reelection.
He said of Odili that "he has no respect for good governance and we have a right to call him to order".
In January 2007, following the PDP primaries in Rivers State in which Riverine candidates performed poorly compared to Uplanders, the Ijaw Consultative Assembly which Graham-Douglas had founded launched an attack on Ijaws who had served in Odili's government, apparently in a move to reverse the selection of Rotimi Amaechi
Rotimi Amaechi
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Nigerian politician, who became Governor of Rivers State in June 2007. He was previously Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 until 2007....
as PDP candidate for governor.
This was a reversal of his position in 2003 when he had said the Ikwerre
Ikwerre
The Ikwerre are one of the many ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are generally considered a subgroup of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, although a few consider themselves a separate ethnicity. The Ikwerre are said to be descendants of long-distance traders from...
s from Rivers East should take their turn after Peter Odili.
Later he became a supporter of Amaechi.
However, in February 2010 Graham-Douglas disagreed with Amaechi about marginalization of the Kalabari
Kalabari
The Kalabari are a tribe of the Ijaw people living in the western Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Originally, they were known as the Awome. The name Kalabari was derived from their ancestor PEREBO KALABARI who was a son of MEIN OWEI. Their original settlement was spelt as Calabar by the Portguese...
people, claiming problems were due to longstanding government neglect combined with efforts to cut oil-producing areas out of the Kalabari region. Amaechi took the position that Kalabari leaders themselves were to blame, and should do more to develop their communities and discourage militancy.
Talking of the Niger delta crisis in an interview in October 2009, Graham-Douglas blamed the problems in part on the elections of 2003 when the boys were given arms and used to disrupt the polls. He said the recent amnesty was progress, but not enough. More should be done to provide local housing and employment.
He was among leaders who that month protested the poor performance and lack of activity of the Ministry of Niger Delta.