Elder statesmen, Chief Tony Anenih dies at 85

Chief Tony Anenih, a former Minister of Works and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dead.  

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The former Minister of Works celebrated his 85th birthday on Saturday, August 4, 2018, where he complained about his health saying, t'he celebration is necessary over my health, current state of mind, with the unfortunate recent losses that befell my family in quick succession”.  

 

Late Anenih was born in Uzenema-Arue in Uromi 85 years ago. In 1951, he joined the Nigeria police force in Benin City. Working at home, he obtained secondary school qualifications. He attended the police college in Ikeja, and was selected for further training in the Bramshill Police College, Basingstoke, England in 1966 and the International Police Academy, Washington DC in 1970.  He served as a police orderly to the first Governor General of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. He worked as an instructor in various police colleges, and in 1975 was assigned to the Administrative Staff College (ASCON), Lagos.

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He retired from the police as a Commissioner of police.

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He was State Chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1981 and 1983, helping Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia become elected as civilian Governor of Bendel State. However, the governorship was cut short by the military takeover of December 1983.  He was National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party from 1992 and 1993, when he assisted in the election Chief M. K. O. Abiola as president.

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He was a member of the Constitutional Conference in 1994.  Anenih was a member of the PDM until early April 2002, when he transferred to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Anenih was said to have masterminded the 26 April 2002 declaration of President Obasanjo at the International Conference center Abuja.