The former military governor of Lagos and Imo States and former member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu has died.Rear Admiral Kanu according to family sources died on early on Wednesday.
Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Godwin Kanu was appointed military governor of Imo State, Nigeria in March 1976 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He was the first governor after the decree that created the state from part of the old East Central State as signed. He was transferred to become governor of Lagos State in 1977, leaving office in July 1978.
Ndubuisi Kanu was born in Abia State in 1943 of Igbo origin. He joined the Nigerian Navy and went to India for cadet training. His naval career included positions in Personnel, Logistics and Training. He obtained honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Imo State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
In July 1975 as a lieutenant commander he was appointed a member of Murtala Muhammed’s ruling Cabinet, the Supreme Military Council. Appointed governor of Imo State in March 1976, he brought in town planners to prepare a plan for Owerri. Kanu built roads in Owerri metropolis, expanded that number of Local Government Areas to 21 and founded the Imo Broadcasting Service, which went on air in December 1976. He later became Rear Admiral and rank he retired with.
After he retired he joined the pro-democracy movement and played a leading role in the agitation for the actualization of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election. He founded and is Chairman of RANGK LTD, a maritime consultancy, is Chairman of the Ohaneze Transition Caretaker Committee (OTC). and was Director of Fidelity Bank PLC. Kanu became a top National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain and became Chairman of the coalition in 2013
