Last week elderstatesman and four times Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Alabo Tonye Omubo Graham-Douglas took his flight out of this world. He was 82. The
quintessential gentleman and patriot was a man of uncommon class, superlative cultural icon and proud son of the ancient Kalabari kingdom in Rivers State.
Born May 8, 1939 in Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Graham-Douglas was the son of a native court judge in Abonnema. His brother, Nabo Graham-Douglas, was the first indigenous Attorney-General of Nigeria. The four-time federal minister 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.
Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas had worked 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 1986, Graham-Douglas was appointed Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Culture by the Rivers State government. 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.
Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was also a member of the Special Tenders Board, which developed the Abuja FCT.
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. President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Graham-Douglas Employment of Employment, Labour and Productivity in June 1999. In July 2000, Graham-Douglas was re-deployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The late Graham-Douglas in 1998 formed the Rivers Democratic Movement (RDM), alongside Dr. Marshall Sokari Harry and other heavyweights who are all late. It was on the strength of that formidable political establishment that Dr. Peter Odili became the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and eventually emerging as the governor of the state.
Alabo TO as he was fondly called was a man passionate about development. In his lifetime he displayed a high level of statesmanship and nationalism. He was until his death committed to the long awaited emergence of a governor from Riverine extraction. He never thought that the kindness of allowing the Upland to rule the state in 1999 will turn out to be the way it is. The idea then was a rotational or zoning arrangement that will see both Upland and Riverine share the seat but that was thwarted.
The sage was an inspiration to many and it is our hope that many young people will look at him in retrospect and take up the challenge to be greater than him. His legacies will forever remain solid in the minds and hearts of those who came across him. He may be gone but his huge footprints which he left in the sands of time will not be washed away. Indeed it is the end of an era. Adieu the last Don, a true Rivers son, Ijaw hero and icon takes a bow.
