Elizabeth Ogbon-Day: Nigeria’s First Female Ambassador
Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbon-Day (December 29, 1949 – May 6, 2012) was a Nigerian diplomat, politician, distinguished abusite and “fearless fighter” who was called the IRON LADY of SUG during her ABU Zaria days.
She was the first female to occupy the position of Director of Socials (1972 to 1973) in the Student Union Government of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and Nigeria’s first female Ambassador.
The first child in a family of twelve children, she was born on Thursday, December 29, 1949, to His Royal Majesty, The Ohworode (King) of Olomu Kingdom, Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro I and Chief (Mrs.) Alice Ogbon, at Oteri, Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.
Ambassador Princess Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbon-Day was very active politically and she contested the primaries of the PDP in 2007 for the highest office of the land — the presidency, alongside the late President Yar’dua, Dr. Peter Odili, Chief (Mrs.) Sarah Jubril and a host of others. In the most recent elections of 2011, she contested for the Senate seat of Delta Central Senatorial District.
She was appointed ambassador by President Shehu Shagari in early 1981, first as the Nigerian Counsel-General to Hamburg, West Germany, and then as Ambassador to the Philippines from the latter part of 1981 till December 1983, when the military coup by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari overthrew the government of President Shehu Shagari.
Her most recent political appointments include the Chairman, Delta Rainbow Television, DRTV, and Special Adviser, Inter-ethnic Relations under the Uduaghan administration of Delta State. She was also appointed to the board of Benue River Basin Development Authority under the Yar’dua/Jonathan administration from 2008 to 2011.
Ambassador Elizabeth Ogbon-Day was a grass-root political organizer. Thus, she mobilized Urhobo women to form the Urhobo Women in Politics (UWIN) with the sole aim of getting more of her women folks involved in the political affairs of their state. She was an indefatigable women’s leader and a committed Urhobo nationalist actively involved in the activities of the Urhobo Progress Union till the very last day of her life.
She had her secondary school education at Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Ughelli, from 1963 to 1968 from where she proceeded to Federal Government College, Sokoto, for her higher school certificate in 1969. Her continued quest for higher education took her to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where she obtained her B.Sc in Sociology in 1973.
Her interest in politics actually spiked while she was at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. There, she contested for the post of Director of Socials and became the first female holder of that office from 1972 to 1973. Her notable contemporaries at the Ahmadu Bello University include Chief Audu Ogbe, former Chairman of the PDP, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Steve Lawani, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Dr. Steve Oru, Vice-Chairman, South-South, PDP, amongst a host of others.
Upon her graduation from the university in 1973, she served in the very first set of the National Youth Service Corps scheme (NYSC) in Lagos State, with her primary assignment at the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
Thereafter, she secured an appointment with the National Museums and Antiquities Commission and was posted as Curator to the Benin Museum, under the directorship of the foremost and world-renown anthropologist, late Dr. Ekpo Eyo.
While still at the National Museums, her insatiable quest for further education saw her gaining admission to the famous George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C., United States of America, for her masters degree program. She completed the two-year masters degree program within a record time of one year and returned to Nigeria in 1978.
With the onset of political activities in 1979, she joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and worked relentlessly for the success of the party in the then Bendel State. Her efforts were rewarded with the ambassadorial appointment in 1981.
After her ambassadorial stint, she settled in Warri, Delta State, where she founded Osalees International School, Effurun. She went into self-exile to the United States of America in 1995 after her house was fire-bombed and destroyed during the turbulent Abacha years.
Ambassador Princess (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ogbon-Day was a very dynamic and charismatic person. She was a true princess! But above all, she was her self—very down-to-earth and a ‘tell-it-as-it-is’ person. She had character, she had panache, and she had grace. You couldn’t help but notice and acknowledge her presence in any gathering she was in.
Ambassador Princess (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ogbon-Day died suddenly at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at her residence in Effurun, near Warri, Delta State. She was 62 years old.
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