By Jennifer Ugwueke
Reports coming in indicate that Second Republic Senator and former Chairman of NCC, Chief Olabiyi Durojaye is dead.
Though his family has not confirmed this yet but DgovScoops learnt that the elderstateman died this morning.
His death is coming few days after the death of another former NCC Chairman Ahmed Joda
Details shortly….
His Profile
Durojaiye earned a BSc (Economics) London, and an LLB, London. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979, and is a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He also graduated from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. He worked for 35 years in the Nigerian public sector, including 28 years as a Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Mint. He worked with the International Monetary Fund, the Federal Reserve System in the U.S.A and the City University London between 1964 and 1982.
Political career
Durojayi was an elected member of the 1988/89 Constituent Assembly. In 1992 he was a candidate to run for President of Nigeria on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), losing to M.K.O. Abiola. Abiola’s subsequent election as president was quashed by General Ibrahim Babangida, leading to a return to military rule. In December 1996 Durojayi was arrested by the military regime of General Sani Abacha, and was imprisoned for 560 days and mistreated while in jail. A June 1997 report stated the 63-year-old lawyer was reportedly in poor health and suffering from high blood pressure caused by his treatment. Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience and campaigned for his release.
Durojaiye was an elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2003). After taking his seat in the Senate he was appointed to committees on Judiciary, Establishment (Chairman) and Special Projects.