ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – A former Minister of Education, Prof. Fabian Osuji, has died. He was aged 82.
Osuji died in the early hours of today, Wednesday, 28 February 2024.
A member of the former minister’s family disclosed that the deceased returned from the United States last Saturday where he had been holidaying and was treated for undisclosed ailments.
Osuji, born on January 20, 1942, attended Holy Ghost College in Owerri, Imo State; Government College, Umuahia in Abia State; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu State; and the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State.
He performed his Post-Doctoral Research at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.
The former minister became a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan in 1973, a post he held till 1981.
He was also a Visiting Scientific Fellow at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Osuji became a Dean of the College of Science, Dean of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and member of the Governing Council of Imo State University.
He was appointed Professor of Applied Biology, at St. John’s University, New York (CUNY) USA (1997-1999).
He was also a Visiting Professor at several universities in Nigeria and worldwide.
Known as a scholars’ scholar, Osuji published 35 papers and books to his credit.
Osuji reportedly one of the greatest scientists of the modern era to have come out of Nigeria, had his global image tainted by the N55m bribe for budget scandal of the Olusegun Obasanjo era.
Hugely respected as a good man by several who knew him including those who brought him into government, the late Osuji became a victim of budget racketeering by some members of the National Assembly Committees on education in 2005. The alleged bribe demand led to the resignation of Senator Adolphus Wabara as Senate President following a nationwide broadcast by then President Obasanjo and the trial of Wabara, Osuji and some other members of the National Assembly of Education who were alleged to be involved in the alleged bribe for budget scam.
Osuji was alleged to have taken the bribe in Ghana-Must-Go Bags alongside police and security details to the Apo Legislative residence of one of his friends turned lawmaker in December 2004 where members of the Education Committee came to share the booty.
However, Senator Wabara was exonerated following a 15-year trial. Osuji, who had just turned from academia to government after being headhunted by Obasanjo, was sacked and prosecuted for succumbing to the pressures for bribe for the education budget to be passed.
He was also acquitted by the courts after a lengthy trial.
Senator Wabara who was mentioned during the Senate investigations as playing a central role in the alleged scam, however, subsequently let it out that the trial and scandal were fallouts from moves by the Obasanjo government to ease him out to allow the smooth implementation of the yet to unfold third term script.
