Rufus Ada-George
Encyclopedia
Rufus Ada-George was elected Governor of Rivers State
, Nigeria
, holding office from January 1992 until November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic
.
, Rivers State. He qualified as an accountant, and became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
.
He was an accountant with Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria from April 1972 to December 1979. He then joined the Rivers State government
. Later he was the deputy managing director of the investment company Dangil Holdings Limited (1984–1991), before being elected governor of Rivers State.
(NRC) platform as Governor of Rivers State in the preliminary elections sponsored by General Ibrahim Babangida
as a step towards full democracy with the Third Republic. He took office in January 1992.
His deputy governor was Peter Odili
, who was himself elected governor in 1999.
In 1993 the Ogoni people in Rivers State, led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
, protested against exploitation by Shell, Ada-George's former employer. Violence resulted. The Ogoni considered that the governor was encouraging the conflict. There was a delay of two months before federal troops were deployed to restore the peace.
Ada-George's tenure ended when General Sani Abacha
took power in a military coup in November 1993. Ada George retired into private life until the ban on politics was lifted by Abacha's successor Abdulsalami Abubakar
in 1998.
Violence broke out in Okrika
, Rivers State between 22 and 24 September 2001.
During another outbreak of violence in Okrika
in 2002, reportedly initiated by the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP), both his houses were burned down.
In June 2008 the state Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard accusations that Ada-George had sponsored the bush boys in the September 2001 outbreak in an attempt to install the All People's Party (APP) in the area.
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...
, Nigeria
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...
, holding office from January 1992 until November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic
Nigerian Third Republic
The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1993 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution.- Founding :...
.
Background
Ada George was born on 11 July 1940 at George-Ama, OkrikaOkrika
Okrika is a port town in Rivers State, Nigeria, capital of the Local Government Area of the same name. The town is situated on a small island just south of Port Harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city....
, Rivers State. He qualified as an accountant, and became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is a professional accountancy body in Nigeria.It is one of the two professional accountancy associations with regulatory authority in Nigeria, the other being the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria .The relationship between the two...
.
He was an accountant with Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria from April 1972 to December 1979. He then joined the Rivers State government
Rivers State government
The Rivers State government consists of elected representatives and appointed officials responsible for the government of Rivers State, Nigeria....
. Later he was the deputy managing director of the investment company Dangil Holdings Limited (1984–1991), before being elected governor of Rivers State.
Governor of Rivers State
Ada-George was elected on the National Republican ConventionNational Republican Convention
The National Republican Convention was a Nigerian political party established by the government of General Ibrahim Babangida and ultimately disbanded by the incoming military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1993.-Alignment:...
(NRC) platform as Governor of Rivers State in the preliminary elections sponsored by 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...
as a step towards full democracy with the Third Republic. He took office in January 1992.
His deputy governor was 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:...
, who was himself elected governor in 1999.
In 1993 the Ogoni people in Rivers State, led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People is a campaigning organization representing the Ogoni people. Ogoniland is situated north-east of Niger Delta...
, protested against exploitation by Shell, Ada-George's former employer. Violence resulted. The Ogoni considered that the governor was encouraging the conflict. There was a delay of two months before federal troops were deployed to restore the peace.
Ada-George's tenure ended when General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
took power in a military coup in November 1993. Ada George retired into private life until the ban on politics was lifted by Abacha's successor Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar is a Nigerian general who was President of Nigeria from June 9, 1998 until May 29, 1999. He succeeded Sani Abacha upon Abacha's death. It was during Abubakar's leadership that Nigeria adopted its new constitution on May 5, 1999, which provided for multiparty...
in 1998.
Later career
After the return to democracy in 1999, Ada-George became a leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Rivers State.Violence broke out in Okrika
Okrika
Okrika is a port town in Rivers State, Nigeria, capital of the Local Government Area of the same name. The town is situated on a small island just south of Port Harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city....
, Rivers State between 22 and 24 September 2001.
During another outbreak of violence in Okrika
Okrika
Okrika is a port town in Rivers State, Nigeria, capital of the Local Government Area of the same name. The town is situated on a small island just south of Port Harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city....
in 2002, reportedly initiated by the ruling 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), both his houses were burned down.
In June 2008 the state Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard accusations that Ada-George had sponsored the bush boys in the September 2001 outbreak in an attempt to install the All People's Party (APP) in the area.