“Healer of international strife, a seeker after mutual understanding and a patient negotiator.” When the University of Liverpool awarded Chief Emeka Anyaoku an honorary doctorate degree in 1993, it hailed him as Nigeria’s pride in the diplomatic world.
More than three decades later, the expression “Healer of international strife” still accurately describes Chief Anyaoku’s outstanding persona as he turns 91 today, January 18, 2024.
Chief Anyaoku shakes his universe from Obosi town in modern-day Anambra State in South-East Nigeria to the rest of the world, surely leaving an indelible mark on future generations.
As the graceful diplomat and magnificent breed of a distinguished elder statesman known as Ichie Adazie of Obosi celebrates his 91st birthday today, here are nine facts you should know about one of the stars who light up Nigeria’s skies and brighten the rest of the world:
1. Born on January 18, 1933, in Obosi town, Anambra State, he was a student leader at the University College Ibadan, where he studied the Classics. He also studied further in England and France.
2. He took an active part in the push for Nigeria’s independence from Britain.
3. In April 1962, he was appointed personal assistant to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
4. In 1963, he was posted to Nigeria’s permanent mission at the United Nations in New York, where he began a successful international career as a diplomat.
5. In 1966, he joined the Commonwealth Secretariat as Assistant Director of International Affairs. He would eventually become a director. In 1977, he was named deputy secretary general, in charge of foreign affairs and secretariat administration.
6. He was the Commonwealth’s third Secretary General, serving from 1990 to 2000. He was deeply committed to the complete political and democratic transition in countries recovering from civil wars, coups, and racial divisions. This made him the first African to hold such a high-level post in an intergovernmental organization.
7. In 1983, Anyaoku briefly departed the Commonwealth when President Shehu Shagari appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs. His tenure was cut short by Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s military seizure of the government in the same year.
8. His influence was vital in South Africa, where he helped to overthrow apartheid and install Nelson Mandela’s racial equality administration.
9. The Federal Government named him Commander of the Order of the Niger in 1982. He serves as a trustee and board member for a number of international organizations, and he has received honorary doctorates from numerous world-class universities.
