Brigadier-General John Atom Kpera
Brigadier-General John Atom Kpera (born 3 January 1941) was the first Military Governor
of Anambra
State in Nigeria
from March 1976 to July 1978, after it had been created from the old East Central State during the military regime of General Olusegun
Obasanjo. Later he was
Military Governor of Benue
State from January
1984 to August 1985 during the military regime of Major-General Muhammadu
Buhari.
Background
John Atom Kpera was born on 3
January 1941 in Mbatierev, Gboko Local
Government Area in what is now Benue State. He attended Katsina-Ala College,
now Government College Katsina-Ala, (1956–1961) for his secondary education.
After joining the army he
attended the Haile Selasie Military Academy, Ethiopia in 1962 for his Military Cadet
Training, and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in
1965. He held various command and staff appointments including Engineers
Brigade Commander, Squadron Commander, Regimental Commander, and Commander,
Corps of Engineers.
He played a role in Nigeria's first military coup on 15 January
1966, helping Chukwuma Kaduna
Nzeogwu in an attempt to overthrow the Northern Region government.
The coup did not succeed in its aims, but led to Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi assuming
power in the first Nigerian military government.
Military
Governor
He was appointed Military
Governor of Anambra State from March 1976 – July 1978, during the military
regime of Olusegun Obasanjo.
He then became Commandant of the Army School of Engineers Headquarters,
followed by Director of Manpower, Nigerian Army Headquarters. On 4 January 1984 he
was appointed Military Governor of Benue State, the first military leader born
in the state to govern the State.
He initiated a policy of
forcing the people to clean their environment under the supervision of
soldiers, a practice that was maintained by his successors.On his dismissal as
governor, he said of the State treasury that he left it empty because he met it
empty.
No comments:
Post a Comment