Dele Cole (1940-2026) and his public service, By Eric Teniola

On 29 July, 1975, General Murtala Mohammed GCFR (8 November, 1938 – 13 February, 1976) became head of state by overthrowing General Yakubu Gowon GCFR (92). On 7 August, 1975, General Mohammed set up a committee on the creation of more states in the country. At that time, Nigeria had 12 states. The committee was headed by Justice Gabriel Ayo Irikefe of the Supreme Court. Other members of the committee were Dr AD Yahaya, Mr SD Lar, Brigadier Godwin G Ally and Mr. C Audifferen. The Secretary of the committee was Dr Patrick Dele Cole of The Cabinet Office.

At that time, Dr Dele Cole was an administrative officer in the Political division of The Cabinet Office. He has returned from his studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand, 1962-1965, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherland, 1966, University of Cambridge, England, 1966-1969, and visiting Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, 1969-1973.

Dr Patrick Dele Cole was a fellow, Kings College, Cambridge, England, 1970-1973.

The political division in The Cabinet Office was headed by Alhaji Umaru Sanda Ndayako (1937 – 8 September, 2003), who later became the Etsu Nupe in 1975. Alhaji Ndayako had his education at the East School, Bida, 1945-1948, Ilorin Middle School, 1949-1950, Government College, Zaria, 1951-1956, Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, 1957-59, University College, Ibadan, 1959-1962; Senior Civil Servant, Ministry of Local Government, Kaduna, 1962-1965, Principal Administrative Office, 1965-1967 and deputy Permanent Secretary, later head, Political Division, Cabinet Office.

Top officers in the Political division, Cabinet Office, who were also colleagues of Dr. Dele Cole at that time also included Mr Eniolorunda Ojumu from Kwara state, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar from Kaduna State, Dr  Niyi Adedeji from Ilesa, Osun State, Ambassador Timothy Ayodele Olu Otunla also from Ilesa, Mr Bisi Ogunniyi from Iree in Osun State and Brigadier Ibrahim Ahmed Bako (N/548) (5 March 1943 – 31 December,1983).

On 3 February, 1976, General Murtala Mohammed (GCFR) made the following announcements. “The Supreme Military Council has decided that seven of the present States remain unchanged except for minor boundary adjustments. These are: Lagos, North-Central, Kano, Rivers, Mid-Western, South-eastern and Kwara States. In the case of Kwara, Igala area is excised and merged with Benue. The capitals will remain unchanged except for Lagos State whose capital is now Ikeja. The minor boundary adjustments are for parts of Opobo division in the South-Eastern State and Ndoni area in the Mid-West now merged with Rivers State.

States will no longer be described reference to geographical points such as North and South, West or East. This should help to erase memories of past political ties and emotional attachments. The Mid-Western States is now to be known as Bendel; North-Central becomes Kaduna State and the present South-Eastern is to be known henceforth as Cross River State.

As for the other five States, these have been divided in such a way that the total number of States in the Federation is now nineteen.

The present Western State is divided into three States as follows:

• Ogun State, consisting of Abeokuta and Ijebu Provinces with the capital at Abeokuta
• Ondo State is made up of Ondo Province with the capital at Akure
• Oyo State consisting of Oyo, Ibarapa, Ibadan, Osun, Ife and Ijesha with the capital at Ibadan.

The present East-Central State is divided into two States as follows:

• Imo State consisting of the following divisions: Afikpo, Oguta, Nkwerre, Mbano,Mbasie, Bende, Orchukwum, Umahia, Okigwi, Orlu,Oru, Mbaitoli/Ikeduru, Etiti, Ohafia, Northern Ngwa, Owerri, Aba and Ukwa with the capital at Owerri.
• Anambra State consisting of the following Divisions: Enugu, Isi-Uzo, Uzo-Uwani, Ezeagu, N-kanu, Abakaliki, Ezzikwo, Njikoka,Idmili, Igbo-Eze, Nsukka,Udi, Ishelu, Izzim Aguata, Anambra, Onitsha, Awgu, Ihiala, Nnewi and Ogbaru with the capital at Enugu.

The present North-Western State is divided into two States as follows:

• Niger State consisting of Niger Province less Zuru with the capital at Minna
• Sokoto State consisting of Sokoto Province and Zuru with the capital at Sokoto.

The present Benue-Plateau State is divided into two States as follows:

• Benue State consisting of Gboko, Makurdi, Katsina Ala and Oturkpo with the capital at Makurdi. The State includes Idah, Dekina and Ankpa Divisions in Kwara.
• Plateau State consisting of Jos, Pankshin Akwanga, Langtang, Shendam, Nassarawa and Lafia with the capital at Jos. The State also includes Jarawa District in Bauchi Division.

The present North-Eastern State is divided into three States as follows:

• Bauchi State consisting of Bauchi Province less Jarawa District with the capital at Bauchi.
• Borno State consisting of Borno Province less Shani District with the capital at Maiduguri. The State include Gwoza Local Authority area and Uba District in Adamawa.
• Gongola State consisting of Sardauna and Adamawa provinces with the capital at Yola. The State also includes Wukari Division in the former Benue-Plateau State and Shani District.

Boundary adjustment Commissions will be set up immediately to look into the various inter-state boundary disputes identified by the panel on creation of States. The peculiar problem of the Riverine areas is to be dealt with through the establishment of a Delta Basin Authority.

The following officers have been posted as Governors of the seven new States. They are Lt Commander Kanu — Imo, Major ID Ikpeme — Ondo, Lt. Colonel A Shelleng — Benue, Lt Colonel SA Balogun — Ogun, Lt Colonel MD Jega — Gongola, Commander Nyako — Niger and Lt Colonel B. Kaliel—Bauchi State”.

After the report, Justice Ayo Irikefe GCON later became the Chief Justice of the Federation from 1985 to 1987. Dr Ali Danlami Yahaya of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria became a member of The Constitution Drafting Committee and Mr SD Lar, was chairman of African Continental Bank, elected governor of Plateau state in 1979 and became the founding chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and Mr C Audifferen was a Map Reproduction Officer for the Federal Ministry of Works.

The decision by the Supreme Military Council was as a result of the reports of the Secretariat of the Committee on the creation of states, then headed by Mr Dele Cole. From then on, the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, General Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) bonded with Dr Dele Cole.

Following an internal crisis, the Federal Government on September 19, 1975 acquired 60 per cent equity shares in The Daily Times Group of Companies. They therefore appointed a new Board of Directors for the group. They are Alhaji Aliko Mohammed (Chairman), Alhaji Babatunde Jose, Mr Douglas Briggs, Mr Paul Belabo, Dr Ali Alhakim, Dr Patrick Dele Cole, Lady Alakija and Alhaji J Gana. Dr Dele Cole then became the managing director of The Daily Times. He was deployed from The Cabinet Office.

While serving as Managing Director of Daily Times, Dr Dele Cole was very involved in acquisition of “WEST AFRICA” Magazine – owned by South Africa through her intelligence agencies. This helped weaken apartheid support in the Western Press- during Nigeria’s Seizure of Barclays Bank and British Petroleum (BP) in 1979.

A few years later General Ibrahim Babangida appointed Dr Dele Cole as Nigeria’s ambassador to Argentina and Brazil according to Mr Peter Aribe, a public affairs analyst with deep military background. Ambassador Cole “helped grow tremendously Petrobras involvement in the Nigerian Oil Exploration especially in deep off shore investigations. The partnership between the Nigerian Navy and the Brazilian Navy was also greatly enhanced in this period; with the Brazilian Navy supplying most of the equipment required for the refit and repairs of Navy Boats at Navy Dockyard – Victoria Island, which General Babangida commissioned in 1990.”

When his friend, President Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) in 1999 became president, he tapped Dr Dele Cole to be his special adviser, along with Dr Stanley Macebuh (28 December 1942–7 March 2010). During the Obasanjo years, Dr Tunji Olagunju (82) from Offa, Kwara State, Prince Bola Ajibola (March 1934 – 8 April 2023), Dr Christopher Kolade (28 December 1932 – 8 October 2025), Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, the Asiwaju of Owo in Ondo state and Dr Dele Cole, were very close to the president.

In the case of Dr Patrick Dele Cole, he participated in numerous talks with Nigeria’s creditors, especially with the Paris Club on the debt relief. With his death, Nigeria has lost an astounding Public Servant.

Eric Teniola, a former director at the Presidency wrote from Lagos.