By Jerry Needam
Thirty-two years after the tragic Giokoo incident that claimed the lives of some Ogoni leaders, the family of late Ogoni statesman, Mr Albert Badey, has announced plans to establish a Leadership Development Centre in his memory.
The centre, to be known as the Albert Badey Centre for Development (ABCD), will be formally unveiled as part of activities marking his posthumous 90th birthday celebration.
Mr Suage Badey, son of the late Ogoni leader, disclosed this in Port Harcourt over the weekend while briefing members of the Central Planning Committee set up to organise the event.
According to him, if his father were alive today, he would have turned 90 years this month.
“We will not grieve forever and we will not mourn forever. We therefore want to build something meaningful in society in his memory and honour,” he said.
Suage described the late A.T. Badey, as he was fondly called, as a committed pro-development leader who served Ogoniland and Rivers State selflessly and contributed significantly to the development of the area.
He recalled that Albert Badey was among the Ogoni leaders who lost their lives during the gruesome Giokoo incident in 1994 at the height of the Ogoni crisis.
During his lifetime, the late Badey served Rivers State in several key capacities, including Permanent Secretary, Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner under different administrations.
He also worked in several Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government.
He is widely credited with influencing a number of development projects in Ogoniland, including the establishment of the first Rivers State Polytechnic at the former Regina Caeli Teachers Training College campus in Bori, now known as Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.
Meanwhile, the Central Planning Committee for the celebration and the unveiling of the development centre, headed by a retired Permanent Secretary in Rivers State, Mr John Nally, has already held its inaugural meeting in Port Harcourt. Members of the committee include prominent officials from across the state who served alongside the late Mr Badey during his years in public service.
