1. Aper Aku was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria, in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, he left office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
24 Facts About Aper Aku
1. 2.
Aper Aku was born in 1938 in Ikyobo, Ushongo Local Government Area, Benue State.
3.
Aper Aku had his primary education at Aku Primary School between 1943 and 1947 and from 1948 to 1951, he attended the Senior Primary School, Mkar.
4.
Aper Aku had his senior secondary education at Government College, Keffi, from 1952 to 1957, and then studied at Nigeria College of Arts and Science from 1958 to 1961.
5.
Aper Aku studied for a degree at Fourah Bay University, Sierra Leone.
6.
Aper Aku became a teacher in 1964 at William Bristow Secondary School, Gboko, and later taught at Bauchi Provincial Secondary School and Government Secondary School, Gombe.
7.
Aper Aku attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for a post-graduate Course in Education.
8.
Aper Aku was Principal of the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna and a member of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan.
9.
In May 1974 and again in August 1974 Aku wrote to Joseph Dechi Gomwalk, Governor of Benue-Plateau State, accusing him of nepotism and financial wrongdoings, and filed affidavits to this effect.
10.
However, a probe initiated by Gowon's successor Murtala Mohammed vindicated Aper Aku, saying that the allegations were true.
11.
Aper Aku was appointed as Chairman of Kwande Local Government Council in 1977 by Abdullahi Shelleng, Benue state governor.
12.
Aper Aku presided over a hostile council because the councillors belonged to different factions; some councillors where loyal to Joseph Tarka, Akus mentor and some were loyal to Paul Unongo, a leader of another political camp.
13.
Aper Aku resigned as chairman of the local council in 1978 and subsequently entered the Benue State primary race for governor under the banner of the National Party of Nigeria.
14.
Aper Aku won the NPN primary over challengers such as Isaac Shaahu and George Atedze.
15.
Aper Aku faced severe problems as governor in a state with a long history of neglect, particularly in the southern area which was inhabited by minority groups.
16.
Aper Aku encouraged mass agricultural production, and during his tenure the state produced bumper harvests of local crops such as yams, cassava, soya beans, cowpea, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, banana, mangoes and oranges.
17.
Aper Aku launched commercial enterprises such as the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi.
18.
Aper Aku initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in Makurdi.
19.
Aper Aku cancelled work on a large medical centre at Apir and instead began construction of seven cottage hospitals in different locations.
20.
Aper Aku established two Teachers Colleges at Oju and Makurdi and the University of Technology in Makurdi.
21.
Aper Aku embarked on an ambitious program to expand the number of Secondary Schools.
22.
Aper Aku built roads in Makurdi township and provided the street lights, awarded the contract for the Art Council Complex and started work on the Makurdi stadium.
23.
The elaborate water supply schemes that Aper Aku had initiated was abandoned, and the infrastructure that had been built was not maintained.
24.
Aper Aku's health was broken by the harsh conditions in jail, and he died in 1988 shortly after being released.