Major General David Akpode Ejoor ( rtd ), one of Nigeria’s finest military officers , took his final salute on February 10 , 2019 , when he breathed his last. The General whose courage and patriotism approximated that of the Biblical David was a grand old man of eighty - six when he answered the final call. General Ejoor was born of Ovwor - Olomu and Ebor- Orogun parentage . A paragon of Urhobo intelligence , industry and foresight , Ejoor braved odds to go to Primary School which eventually led him to the portals of Government College Ughelli , ( GCU ) in 1948 . Ejoor was outstanding at GCU where he won a scholarship .

His Principal was the legendary V . B . Powell who described him on graduating in 1953 as “ a thoroughly nice boy in the best sense …” He was among early Nigerians trained at the Royal Military Academy , Sandhurst . Ejoor graduated from Sandhurst in July 1956 , and returned to Nigeria on 2 nd January 1957 as a Lieutenant . After serving in Kaduna and Ibadan between 1957 and 1959 , the lot of securing Nigeria ’ s border with Cameroon fell on him .

At independence in 1960 , Ejoor had the historic honour of commanding the Army Guard at the dawn of 1 st October . That event foreshadowed the significant roles he was to play in the survival of Nigeria . Ejoor was in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in the Congo . On returning to Nigeria , he again had another rare privilege of designing the Nigerian Army cap badge and rank insignias . The turning point in Ejoor ’ s career took place on 15 th January 1966 when the first military coup swept away the first post - independence government.

Ejoor , then a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the Army Battalion in Enugu, was in the forefront of the offensive that foiled that coup. Fate saw him appointed as the Military Governor of the then Midwest Region , by virtue of which he became a member of the Supreme Military Council ( SMC) .

Ejoor had hardly settled down when the counter coup of July 1966 took place . The July coup led by Northern soldiers led to the death of many officers from the then Eastern Region . Soon the tension bred by the coup degenerated into a full blown Civil War . Ejoor , more than any other Nigerian military officer suffered from the war .

His acts of courage and loyalty to Nigeria contributed to Nigeria surviving the war . His predicament stemmed from being the Governor of the Midwest , a small buffer Region with a substantial population of the aggrieved Igbo . His military colleagues in the Midwest with the exception of two were all Igbo . So there was a conspiracy to get rid of him . Help was not forthcoming from the Federal Army, and the invading rebel forces overran his base in Benin .

He survived three assassination attempts . Before and during the early period of the war , Ejoor was the only proponent of one Nigeria among the then four Regional Governors , and military brass hats who saw no need for the existence of Nigeria as one entity . It was for that that the rebel leader , Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu - Ojukwu wanted him dead. The invasion necessitated Ejoor’s flight from Benin the capital of the Midwest .

Ejoor’s escape from Benin , his bicycle ride to Ebor- Orogun , and eventual appearance in Lagos are the stuff military manoeuvres are made of . Yet , it was that rare act of stratagem that Olusegun Obasanjo had in mind when he referred to General Ejoor as a “ bicycle riding fugitive ” . It is apropos to say that better and braver soldiers than Obasanjo , the likes of Generals T . Y . Danjuma and Joe Garba had gone on to adulate General Ejoor as an officer of the highest mettle . The Biafran invasion of the Midwest also meant the loss of Ejoor ’ s post as Governor .

But short and tempestuous as his tenure was , he left footprints that are associated with visionary leaders . He set the tone for the making of the Midwest into the most advanced enclave in Africa . The strides recorded by his successor , Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia were derived from the template put in place by Ejoor . But this is hardly acknowledged .

How many people know that it was Ejoor who established the first radio broadcasting station in Benin ? Who still remembers that it was Ejoor who began the process that gave birth to the once famous Nigerian Observer , or that he was the one who took the decisive steps which metamorphosed into today’s University of Benin , Benin City? What about other landmark projects like the Delta Steel Company, Ovwian - Aladja, the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun , and the Refinery at Ekpan which he envisioned ? Ejoor arrived in Lagos on the blaze of military glory in 1967 . He became a Director at the Army headquarters and was later assigned the task of getting France , America and India to support the Federal Government during the war .

In 1968 , he assumed duties as the first Nigerian Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy , Kaduna and was saddled with the responsibility of training young officers who prosecuted the war . Ejoor attained Generalcy in 1971 the same year he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom where he obtained the military equivalent of a PhD .

He reached the apogee of military career when he was appointed as Chief of Army Staff in January 1972 . As Nigeria ’ s Army Chief, Ejoor did so much to reshape the military to fit into the nation ’ s post - war aspiration . The July 1975 coup ended Ejoor ’ s remarkable military career at the age of 43 ! He retired to civvy street .

He was President - General of the Urhobo Progress Union , Nigeria’s oldest socio - cultural organization whose proscription he prevented in 1966 . He drafted Nigeria ’ s Defence Policy in 1982 . His submission on two - party system became a model for Babangida ’ s political transition programme . He received the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR ) and Grand Commander of the Niger ( GCON ).

The governments of Togo , Sudan, Senegal and Belgium also conferred national honours on him . General Ejoor was the author of two books , one of which is Reminiscences which presents the most altruistic account of the Nigerian crisis from 1966 to 1970 .

As General David Ejoor is laid to rest in Ovwor- Olomu, his birth-place, interred with him is a repository of Nigerian history , the nation’s struggle for unity and a still lively hope for nationhood .

Awhefeada teaches literatures at the Delta State University , Abraka.

https://m.guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/transition/general-david-ejoors-final-salute/

He will be remembered for many things....

May his soul rest in peace, for he lived a fulfiled life in his service to humanity and society that if only the politicians we have behind the government had emulated 10% of the legacies laid by him and the likes of late Chief Festus Okotie-eboh, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, Ambrose Ali and many others, then Nigeria would have been that dream any Nigerian would wish for.

Major David Ejoor is though a Urhobo man by tribe, but he demonstrated what a true people oriented leadership is like and still remained one of the best leader that the entire Urhobo nation has produced like the Itsekiri had the likes of Chief Nanna who at a time was the greatest British governor of the then Benin River. As a leader, he tried to be neutral as he is though from the Urhobo speaking people in the Niger Delta where there are several other ethnic nationalities, yet he served everyone on the premises of truth. He was the military governor in charge of the Midwest under which the Niger Delta is govern, but he never took aside against any tribe and there was peace.

He didn't groomed a society that will be comfortable for thuggery and crime during his days as education were very much and readily available for all in which public schools were the only schools because private schools wouldn't dare compete with the quality of the public schools, unlike, today where children from a less privilege backgrounds cannot get access to quality education because they cannot afford it.

I am glad that political dignitaries and dictators are present from what I'm seeing in front of me, but I hope they have not just come to show their faces but to learn the life the man who they gather to pay a last respect? Until the demise of David Ejoor, we never heard of him being one of the richest but all we have known is that he is one of the wealthiest in character that money cannot afford. He have his flaws, after all, no one is flawless but we can all attest that the resting Major-General David Akpode Ejoor, first Military Governor of MIDWEST Region within 1966-1967 lived a fulfiled servicing this nation not just as military or professional but as a leader with passion and vision.

Lastly, our politicians present or not in the likes of PDP Sen Ifeanyi Okowa, the current and governor elect of Delta State and APC Omo-Agege current and senator elect of Delta Centra including the speaker of the delta state house of assembly in the person of Chief Sheriff and many others should have a reflection of what governance and leadership services to the people is life back in the days of the Tafawa, Okotie-Eboh, Zik, Awolowo, Ogbemudia and the celebrate of life today in the person of David Ejoor and then give at least 10% of such services if doing better than them is a problem for the modern day.
Great Men like David ejoor deserve to be immortalized for their services, immense contributions to the unity and progress of our nation

Adieu Major General David Akpode Ejoor .

RIP sir

Farewell general !

Go and kiss the Hell you traitor. Have you seen the type of Nigeria you fought for?

See as all of them young late 20s and ruling.
But now it a taboo to see a young man in govt office, or even using a nice ride, even if he genuinely acquired it.

Nothing to remember this man for in Owor-Olomu. A man once told me that it was Ejor's refusal to sign his admission form m into Nigerian Army that stopped him from joining the military. At last he is laid to rest in that forsaken village. Please touch lives in your locality. They will for long remember you for it.

May his soul Rest In peace

Salute to a hero and officer gentleman.

MEGAWATCH:
Go and kiss the Hell you traitor. Have you seen the type of Nigeria you fought for?

How was he a traitor?, was there ever a time you guys signed an agreement and he betrayed you? what's even wrong with most of us, cant we learn to respect
leaders from other regions?

To some of you, if he isn't from my side, then he isn't worth celebrating. Spit.

Useless generals they all need to die one by one nonsense 99% our problems in Nigeria is caused by this crazy general s that refuse to die

Sweetas2:
Useless generals they all need to die one by one nonsense 99% our problems in Nigeria is caused by this crazy general s that refuse to die

Yeah you're right. But edjoor isn't amongst those whose misdeeds ruined our country. I quick check on his pedigree will convince you. David edjoor was a Man of pristine and impecabble character.

This was a time Before our boys thought yahoo and slay queens was the only thing they lived for.

Adieu great man

Rip

Dreal1247:
Nothing to remember this man for in Owor-Olomu. A man once told me that it was Ejor's refusal to sign his admission form m into Nigerian Army that stopped him from joining the military. At last he is laid to rest in that forsaken village. Please touch lives in your locality. They will for long remember you for it.

My brother that is life for you.

Lots of humans don't know that, when we fail to help others, heaven ignores us.

I heard that it is BOKO HARAM that killed this one, chai, it will not be well with boko haram

REST ON GENERAL!

Efewestern:


How was he a traitor?, was there ever a time you guys signed an agreement and he betrayed you? what's even wrong with most of us, cant we learn to respect to
leaders from other regions?

To some of you, if he isn't from my side, then he isn't worth celebrating. Spit.

When you fight for a country that ended up being a failed state, aren't you a traitor to your people's progress.?