Amalate Johnnie Turner was born into a humble family on September 30, 1956 at he rustic community of Opume in Ogbia Local Government Area of present day Bayelsa State. He rose to become the Paramount Ruler (Obanema) of Opume community in 2007 with the title Obigbo Mikiki 1.
A thoroughbred native boy, Turner grew up in his hometown, where he started his primary education. Like all young boys and girls of his generation, his primary education was interrupted by the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 — 1970. After the area was liberated by the federal troops and schools reopened, he moved to St. Michael’s Primary School, Oloibiri, where he completed his primary education and had his First School Leaving Certificate.
He thereafter gained admission to Government Secondary Commercial School, Ibaa, Rivers State, in 1972, graduating in 1976. He secured employment with the Rivers State Civil Service and was deployed to the Audit Department.
In 1977 he secured admission at the newly-established University of Port Harcourt, where he studied History, and graduated in 1981, as one of the pioneer graduants, along with the likes of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Dr Boladei Igali.
On completion of his university education and mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was upgraded, converted to the Administrative Officer cadre and posted to the Rivers State Ministry of Works. Still in search of self-improvement, he later enrolled at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho in Oyo State for his Masters degree programme in Business Administration, majoring in Cost Management.
As a result of his hard work, he was appointed as a Permanent Secretary on October 25, 1998 before retiring on March 1, 2008 after 32 years of meritorious, unblemished service spanning Rivers and Bayelsa states.
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In his civil service career, he served in various capacities but specifically as a Permanent Secretary, he worked in the General Services office in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, and later in the Ministries of Works, Transport as well as Health.
Turner’s last posting before retirement was as the pioneer Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Capital City Development Authority (CCDA) where he worked for two years between 2006 and 2008. Just before retiring, he was called to serve his people as traditional ruler in 2007.
King A.J. Turner has held several positions of responsibility including Chairman, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) between 2009 and 2011; Chairman, Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL); Member, University of Port Harcourt Governing Board and Chairman, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He is currently the Chairman of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).
King Turner is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Administrators (CIPA) and the Chartered Institute of Cost Managers of Nigeria. He is the proud recipient of the Gold Medal Award of the Chartered Professional Fellows of Public Administration.
The amiable king has a bagful of honours and awards. He won the Rivers State Best Civil Servant of the Year in 1995, in 2006 the Bayelsa State Ministry of Justice recognized and honoured him as a Justice of the Peace (JP), while in 2008, he received the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association Merit Award. In the same 2008, he received the Rotary International Gold Service Award.
In 2008, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua bestowed on him the National Honours award of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and for his contributions to the development of architecture in Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Architecture gave him an award in 2010. He is also the proud recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship Award by Rotary International. The University of Agriculture, Makurdi in Benue State awarded him the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in 2014.
King Turner is engaged in philanthropy. He has awarded scholarships to hundreds of indigent students. He established and sponsors the Prof E.J. Alagoa chair for Niger Delta Studies at the University of Port Harcourt.
He is the founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a flourishing conglomerate, Trenur Group Nigeria Limited, a portfolio that has interest in construction, oil servicing and engineering services. The group has over 500 staffers in its employment.
The Nigerdeltaconnect wishes King A.J. Turner, a retired Permanent Secretary, a writer, a quintessential administrator and business man, many more happy years on the throne of his forefathers.
