Ndubuisi Kanu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rear Admiral
Ndubuisi Kanu
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| Military Governor of Imo State | |
| In office 15 March 1976 – 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Ochefu (East Central State) |
| Succeeded by | Adekunle Lawal |
| Military Governor of Lagos State | |
| In office 1977 – July 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Adekunle Lawal |
| Succeeded by | Ebitu Ukiwe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 November 1943 |
| Died | 13 January 2021 (aged 77) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Nigeria |
| Branch/service |  Nigerian Navy |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
Ndubuisi Godwin Kanu (born 3 November 1943 – died 13 January 2021) was a Nigerian military officer and a state governor. Early in his career, he fought for the Biafran side during the Nigerian Civil War. In July 1975, he became a member of Murtala Muhammed's Supreme Military Council, which was the ruling group at the time.
After military president Olusegun Obasanjo took power in 1976, Kanu was appointed military governor of Imo State. Later, he became the governor of Lagos State. After leaving his governor roles, he returned to the military and served with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. When he retired, he became a strong supporter of democracy. He also called for power to be shared more evenly across Nigeria, rather than being held only by the central government.
Ndubuisi Kanu was born on 3 November 1943, in Ovim village, which is in Isuikwuato, Abia State. He was from the Igbo ethnic group. He went to the Methodist Primary School in Enugu.
Kanu joined the Nigerian navy in 1962 and traveled to India for his cadet training. During his naval career, he worked in different areas like Personnel, Logistics, and Training. He also fought in the Nigerian Civil War on the side of the Biafran forces.
Becoming a Governor
In July 1975, when he was a lieutenant commander, Kanu was chosen to be a member of the Supreme Military Council. This was the main ruling body under Murtala Muhammed. When military president Olusegun Obasanjo came into office in February 1976, Kanu was made the military governor of Imo State in March 1976.
As governor of Imo State, he brought in experts to plan how to develop the state capital, Owerri. He also built new roads in the state. Kanu increased the number of local government areas in Imo State to 21. He also started the Imo Broadcasting Service, which is now known as the Imo Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1977, Kanu moved to Lagos State to become its military governor. He held this position until July 1978. Later in his career, he became a Rear Admiral and worked with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, helping to keep peace.
After Retirement
After Ndubuisi Kanu retired from the military, he joined the movement that supported democracy. This was different from many of his former military colleagues. He played a very important role in fighting for the results of the 12 June 1993 presidential election to be honored, even though it had been cancelled.
Kanu started his own company, RANGK LTD, which was a maritime (sea-related) consulting business. He was also the Chairman of the Ohaneze Transition Caretaker Committee (OTC) and a Director at Fidelity Bank PLC. He became a top leader in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and became its Chairman in 2013. In May 2008, Kanu asked for Nigeria to return to a system of true federalism. This means sharing power more fairly between the central government and the different states.
In an interview in November 2008, Kanu spoke against what he called "unitarism." This is when the central government has too much power. He called for important discussions between the different ethnic groups in Nigeria. He believed that the problems in the Niger Delta region were caused by the lack of power given to the regions. In another interview, he pointed to the second part of General Ibrahim Babangida's time as leader as when the government started to become too centralized.
In January 2010, Kanu was among the leaders who spoke at a rally in Lagos. This rally was organized by the Save Nigeria Group. They were asking for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to become acting president while President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was ill.
Ndubuisi Kanu was married three times and had ten children. He was married to Chief Mrs. Gladys Kanu from 1993 until he passed away. Kanu died on 13 January 2021, due to health problems from the COVID-19 virus.
Awards and Honours
Ndubuisi Kanu received honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Imo State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. The Lagos State government honored him by naming a park "Ndubuisi Kanu Park" in his memory.
