Arikpo Okoi’s biography, fact, career, awards, net worth and life story

Intro Nigerian Foreign minister
Was Politician
Diplomat
From

Nigeria

Type Politics
Gender male
Birth

20 September 1916, Cross River State, Nigeria

Death

1992
(aged 75 years)

Star sign Virgo
Family
Spouse: Asi Archibong-Arikpo

Dr. Okoi Arikpo (September 20, 1916 – 1995) served as foreign minister of Nigeria.

Early Life And Political Career

Dr. Okoi Arikpo was a Chemist, Anthropologist, Lawyer, Politician and Diplomat. He was born in Ugep in 1916 and died in 1995. He was educated at the famous Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar. Dr Arikpo was a distinguished Academic. He bagged a First Class Degree in Chemistry in the University of London. He strayed into anthropology and bagged a Doctorate Degree in the University College, London; He later studied Law and was called to the English Bar in 1956. He authored many books including the classic: the development of Modern Nigeria (1967). He was reputed to be the First West African to bag a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Anthropology.

Dr. Okoi Arikpo was President of the West African Student’s Union in the United Kingdom in the early 1940s. This organization was the rally point for students from West Africa who were studying in the Great Britain. WASU was lobbying members of the British Parliament to draw their attention to the political problems facing African Colonies and their leaders back home in different African Countries. The organization was the pivot for galvanization for support of some left thinking people to the plight of the colonial territories. WASU was the fulcrum of social and political activities of Students and people of West African Origin in the United Kingdom. Some of its activities include lobbying members of the British Parliament to draw their attention to the political problems facing African Colonies and their leaders.

Dr. Okoi Arikpo was the first Minister for Lands & Survey in the Nigerian Government that was formed after the Macpherson Constitution came into force. Okoi Arikpo was one of the four Legislators elected into the Eastern Regional House of Assembly who were chosen to represent the Eastern Region in the Central House of Legislature in Lagos that was promulgated after the coming into force of the Macpherson Constitution. Okoi Arikpo was also a cabinet Minister in the 1957 Government formed by Sir Abubukar TafawaBalewa.

Okoi Arikpo was an Activist. He was at the vanguard of the campaign to draw the attention of the Colonial Government to the plight of the minority people of the Eastern and Northern Region. He resigned from the NCNC in protest at the treatment meted out to the then Leader of Government Business in the Eastern Nigerian Government, late Professor Eyo Ita, who was pressured by the leadership of the NCNC to step down in order for Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to assume the position he was occupying after he had lost out in the power struggle in the Western Nigeria where members of this Party in the Western Region had succumbed to pressure mounted on them not to allow Dr. Azikiwe, an Igbo become leader of Government Business after his Party won the Western Regional election.

Thereafter Dr. Okoi Arikpo teamed with other minority rights activists to form the United Nigeria Independence Party which later allied with the Action Group as the opposition in the Eastern Region. He was in the forefront of the fight for autonomy of the ethnic minorities in the East for a creation of the Calabar/Ogoja/ Rivers State. He was the Secretary-General of the COR State and Honourable Justice Udo Udoma was the President.

Okoi Arikpo was among the people from the minority ethnic groups who drafted and articulated the position of the minority groups in the country before the Willink Commission was set up by the departing British colonizers to examine the fears of minorities of the Niger Delta. The Willink Commission called attention to the grave dangers in the Niger Delta.

Okoi Arikpo was the first Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission. Okoi Arikpo was the longest serving Minister for Foreign Affairs (External Affairs) 1967 – 1975. He was the person who was sent to all the Western Capitals and the United States of America to make a strong case why Nigeria should not be allowed to be Balkanized during the heady days of the Civil War. This was after the secessionist Regime had launched a vehement and vociferous propaganda in Western Capital and the United States of a deliberate policy of genocide being waged against the Igbo people of Nigeria which always turned the scale against Nigeria. Okoi Arikpo, a cerebral intellectual of no mean standing, employed his formidable intellectualism and savvy to turn the tide against the Biafra Regime.

In the Africa continent, Okoi Arikpo’s effort to ensure that Biafra does not win more recognition after the dramatic recognition accorded it by France, Cote de Voire, Tanzania and Gabon was commendable. A commentator noted thus

“Meanwhile, the OAU Council of Ministers meeting in Kinshasa began on September 4 and lasted till September 11, 1967. The Council meeting normally prepares the agenda for the Heads of State meeting. Okoi Arikpo, Gowon’s External Affairs minister had a short but firm mandate for the preparatory meeting: ‘Under no circumstances allow the Nigerian crisis to appear on the agenda for the OAU Summit.’ To back up his mandate, Arikpo would cite Article II (2) of the OAU Charter, which states that member states should not interfere in the internal affairs of other members unless invited to do so. He also insisted that Nigeria was not keen to invite the mediation of a third party. Gowon also mandated Arikpo to stage a walk-out from the Summit should the matter, by any means, appear on the agenda or be mentioned during the Summit’’.

“The pivotal role that the Ministry of External Affairs was able to play in the foreign policy decision-making system was also due to the sort of leadership that the Commissioner for External Affairs was able to provide. Dr. Okoi Arikpo, who was the Commissioner, was a respected politician and an able administrator. His steady and competent leadership earned respect and support of the career diplomats who dominated the Ministry of External affairs. Arikpo’s ability to work effectively with the career diplomats was also enhanced by his cautious and moderate foreign policy approach shared by the career diplomats. The effective and competent manner in which Arikpo and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he headed managed Nigeria’s international relations during the Civil War period and the immediate Post- War period showed that Gowon’s Government was correct in allowing the Ministry to have clear primacy in the foreign decision making system. During the Civil War, the Ministry was able to help Nigeria to develop new vital relationships with East European (Military weapons from the Soviet Union and other East European countries) were very important in helping the Nigeria Military extinguish the succession of Biafra) while still maintaining adequate relationships with the traditional friendly countries of the West’’.

You May Also Like

Mickey Rourke’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

Mickey Rourke Net Worth and Salary: Mickey Rourke is an American actor who has a net worth of $10 million. Although Rourke initially rose to prominence in the 1980s, he left the entertainment world in the early 90s to become a professional boxer. As a result, his acting career went through a lengthy stall, but he made a strong comeback in the 2000s and became one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Early Life: Philip Andre Rourke Jr. was born on September 16th of 1952 in Schenectady, New York. Rourke was raised in a Catholic household, which had a strong impact on his later life. To this day, Rourke practices Catholocism and has been described as “a good Catholic” by his peers. When Mickey was just six, his father left the family. His mother initially raised Rourke and his siblings alone, but later remarried and moved the entire family to South Florida. In 1971, Mickey Rourke graduated from high school in Miami. Boxing Career: Mickey Rourke became a strong athlete in his teen years. He instantly gravitated towards boxing, entering the sport as an amateur fighter at the age of 12. From age 14 to 25, Mickey Rourke had a record of 27 wins and 3 defeats, although he suffered numerous concussions. After doctors advised him to take a year off and rest, Rourke eventually quit boxing temporarily. Acting Career: Rourke’s acting career began in the 70s with small roles in school plays and college productions. Rourke followed up with a number of television roles in the late 70s before establishing himself as a film actor with Coppola’s Rumble Fish in 1983. After a number of erotic roles, Rourke became something of a sex symbol. He then gained critical acclaim for performances in Barfly and Angel Heart. During the next period, Rourke participated in a few ill-fated films and developed a reputation for being hard to work with. His personal life was also beginning to crumble, and he inexplicably turned down major, career-defining roles. Mickey Rourke then spent the next few years pursuing a professional career in boxing. A few years later, his face was clearly disfigured after many injuries. Reconstructive surgery did little to address aesthetic issues. However, in the late nineties, Rourke returned to the film world with a number of action roles. In the 2000s, Mickey Rourke appeared in films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Man on Fire. Another defining role came in 2005 with Sin City. Although Mickey Rourke had developed a reputation for being something of a “sellout” over the years, he challenged these claims after appearing in The Wrestler. Rourke was universally lauded for his performance, and he won many awards. He was also nominated for an Oscar. Mickey Rourke also played the central villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. Additionally, Rourke has gained notoriety for his role in The Expendables. Relationships: Mickey Rourke’s first marriage was to Debbie Feuer in 1981. The pair met while filming Hardcase and later both appeared in Homeboy. They divorced in 1989, although they remained good friends afterwards. Mickey Rourke attributed the failure of the relationship in part to his role in 9 ½ Weeks, an erotic romantic drama film. After Mickey Rourke appeared alongside Carre Ortis in 1989’s Wild Orchid (which allegedly contained an unsimulated sex scene between the two), he married the actress in 1992. Two years later, Rourke was arrested on charges of spousal abuse, although these were later dropped. The couple later made amends and starred together in the film Exit In Red. Ultimately, their marriage ended in 1998. In addition, Mickey Rourke has dated a range of female celebrities over the years. These include Terry Farrell, Sasha Volkova, Courtney Love, and Bai Ling. From 2009 to 2015, Mickey Rourke was in a long-term relationship with Anastassija Makarenko. Personal Life: Mickey Rourke has gone through several rough patches in his career, and he has admitted to suffering from various mental health issues prior to his comeback in the acting world. He stated that he got through these rough times with support from his agent, his psychiatrist, and a Catholic priest. Mickey Rourke is famous for his activism and his outspoken political views. In 1989, Mickey Rourke donated most of his 1.5-million-pound salary to organizations supporting Joe Doherty, a member of the IRA who had taken part in an attack against British forces. Rourke has expressed support and admiration for George W. Bush over the years, especially in regard to his handling of the war in Iraq. In 2014, Mickey Rourke purchased a t-shirt with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He later explained his actions by stating the had met the president previously and admired him. In 2015, Mickey Rourke supported Ben Carson as the Republican nominee and denounced Donald Trump. He later called Trump a “garbage can president,” among other things. Mickey Rourke is also a passionate dog lover, and he prefers small breeds. Over the course of his life, Rourke has owned 5 chihuahuas. Arrests: Mickey Rourke has been arrested on a number of occasions. In addition to his arrest in 1994 (which he resisted), Rourke was arrested for a DUI in 2007 on Miami Beach. In 2014, he was arrested again – this time for a DUI while riding a Vespa. Brand Endorsements: Over the years, Mickey Rourke has increased his net worth with a number of brand endorsements. In the early 90s, Mickey Rourke appeared in Japanese commercials for Suntory Reserve and Daihatsu. During this period, he also appeared in commercials for Lark cigarettes. In 2010, Mickey Rourke promoted Bavaria Beer in another commercial. Real Estate: Mickey Rourke’s real estate investments (if any) are not widely known. However, he is known to rent various apartments. In 2011, it was reported that Rourke was moving out of a 5,000-square-foot Manhattan apartment for a smaller rental apartment. The apartment he previously rented allegedly cost almost $20,000 per month, whereas the smaller apartment he then chose cost $13,500 per month. In 2014, it was reported that Rourke was on the hunt for another rental property, and he was allegedly choosing between options in the ballpark of $10,000 per month. Eventually, he signed an 18-month lease and moved into a Tribeca apartment. In 2017, Rourke’s landlord sued him for unpaid rent and damages. He allegedly stopped paying rent two months before the lease expired, leaving him with $30,000 of rent debt. Rourke was also charged with $10,000 worth of damages to the apartment. These included holes left in the walls, a damaged bathtub, a broken lock for the front door, and the unauthorized installation of “disco lights” on the ceiling. This wasn’t the first time Rourke had been at the forefront of such issues. In 1994, he was ejected from the Donald Trump Plaza Hotel for causing serious damages to the Central Park Suite. Allegedly, Rourke broke $20,000 worth of furniture in the $5,000-per-night suite.
Read More