Mike Akhigbe
By Davidson Iriekpen
Former Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, is dead. He was 68.
Akhigbe, whose position in the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), headed by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, made him the military vice-president in the junta that superintended the return to democracy in 1999, died at the weekend in England, THISDAY learnt Sunday.
It was gathered that the deceased had been battling with cancer. for a long time
Before his appointment as the chief of general staff following the death of the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, in 1998, Akhigbe, who hailed from Edo State, was the Chief of Naval Staff.
After his retirement from the navy he went to read law and became an attorney with specialisation in Maritime and Real Estate Law.
He was a seasoned businessman with substantial interests in real estate.
During his military career that spanned several decades, he was the Principal Welfare Officer of the Nigerian Navy Flagship NNS Aradu, military governor of Lagos and Ondo States, Director at the Naval Headquarters and Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command.
Akhigbe attended the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Royal Naval School of Maritime Operations Dryad, Southwick the United Kingdom, Command and Staff College Jaji, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru and University of Poitiers, Rouan, France.
A decent officer and a gentleman. May his soul rest in peace. I once had him on my flight from Lagos to Abuja, and he liked the golden-oldie music playing on the aircraft stereo. In Abuja he asked to speak to the pilot when he learned that I was the owner of the tape. He said he liked it and asked if he could get a copy of it. I said sure, if he would give me his card I could make a copy and send it to him. He thanked me and left. The music was so popular it was played continuously on almost all the sectors that day. Before the final flight, the tape in the cassette was cut inside its box. When we pulled it out it was a mass of broken, corrupted tape. I didn't have an extra copy, and he never got his copy. I still feel guilty till today that I broke my word to him. I hope he forgives me. Rest in peace, perfect gentleman.
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