Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas 6th Orubibi of Abonnema, OFR, JP, DSSRS was a Nigerian politician who was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in 1989, then Minister of Aviation in General Ibrahim Babangida's cabinet.
24 Facts About Alabo Graham-Douglas
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Alabo Graham-Douglas held the traditional title of the 'Orubibi VI' of the Royal Douglas War Canoe House of The Kalabari Kingdom, serving as a paramount leader and custodian of the customs and heritage of the Douglas House.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was the first registrar of the Nigerian Medical Council, a founding member of the University of Lagos, and played a key role in developing healthcare infrastructure in Rivers State.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas's cousin, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, was a distinguished jurist who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and later as a Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas attended secondary school in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas studied at Acton Technical School, London and then at the University of Lagos.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas started work with the Nigerian Petroleum Refinery Company, Port Harcourt.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas became managing director of Togiscani Nigeria, a construction company, and CEO of Road Haulage Company and Magroad Enterprises.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was chairman of the Binterteco Nigeria, Pabod Finance and Investment and Waterglass Boat Yard.
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In 2000, Alabo Graham-Douglas was appointed Provincial Grand Master of the Freemason's Lodge in Calabar.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas became Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Culture in 1986 in the Rivers State government.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas gained approval to establish the Rivers State College of Science and Technology.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas created, produced and directed the first Rivers Carnival, Carnival '88 with the theme of Unity in Cultural Diversity.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was moved to the Ministry of Aviation where he oversaw the deregulation of the aviation industry.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was a member of the Special Tenders Board, which developed the Nigeria capital, Abuja.
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In 1992, Alabo Graham-Douglas became chairman of the Southern Minorities Movement, one of the groups that eventually merged into the People's Democratic Party.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was a candidate in the PDP primaries for the presidential nomination in 1998, losing to Olusegun Obasanjo, who went on to become president.
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In July 2000, Alabo Graham-Douglas was re-deployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas described ecotourism as responsible tourism, saying "Ecotourism conserves the natural environments and sustains the well-being of local people".
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Alabo Graham-Douglas said of Odili that "he has no respect for good governance and we have a right to call him to order".
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In January 2007, following the PDP primaries in Rivers State in which Riverine candidates performed poorly compared to Uplanders, the Ijaw Consultative Assembly which Alabo Graham-Douglas had founded launched an attack on Ijaws who had served in Odili's government, apparently in a move to reverse the selection of Rotimi Amaechi as PDP candidate for governor.
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However, in February 2010, Alabo Graham-Douglas disagreed with Amaechi about marginalization of the Kalabari people, claiming problems were due to longstanding government neglect combined with efforts to cut oil-producing areas out of the Kalabari region.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas said the recent amnesty was progress, but not enough.
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Alabo Graham-Douglas was among leaders who that month protested the poor performance and lack of activity of the Ministry of Niger Delta.