All roads lead to Abiriba, in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State today as kinsmen of Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, rtd., roll out the drums to celebrate him at 80.
Ukiwe, was the former Military Vice President and Chief of General Staff in the defunct President Ibrahim Babangida regime.
A former Military Governor of Niger and Lagos states, Ukiwe holds the record as the only Nigerian top official to resign from a plum position in order to keep his integrity.
Born into royalty on October 26, 1940, he joined the Nigerian Navy in 1960 as a Cadet Officer and was commissioned in 1964 with the rank of sub-lieutenant.
Ukiwe was appointed Military Governor of Niger State in 1977. He was re-deployed to Lagos State as Military Governor in July 1978, a position he held until October 1979.
He rose to become a member of the Supreme Military Council between 1975 and 1977. He was a member of the Supreme Military Council, SMC, under General Muhammadu Buhari from 1983 to 1985, while serving as Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval command.
Ukiwe was the Director of Naval Faculty, Jaji and served in the position from 1981 to 1984 as well as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command from 1984–1985.
Following the 1985 Military Coup d’etat, he was appointed the Chief of General Staff, Supreme Headquarters. He later transmuted to the position of Vice President when Babangida picked up the title of President during their regime.
On retirement, Ukiwe joined the pro-democracy group, NADECO which supported Chief MKO Abiola, the President-elect in the June 12, 1993 elections.
He played big in the private business sector as Chairman, Bitu Properties, Kobimat, Bitu Promar and Rudocons.
He was also an adviser and consultant to Statoil (Nigeria), an offshore oil production company, for nine years.
