Daniel Omoigui, Nigeria’s first federation surveyor general, has passed away. Let’s learn more about what transpired to him and the specifics of Daniel Omoigui’s demise.
- Daniel Omoigui, Nigeria’s first federation surveyor general, passed away on Thursday, November 24.
- According to his son Sota, Omoigui passed away on Thursday, November 24, at the age of 91. He had a brilliant career.
- Omoigui oversaw the creation of the National Boundaries Commission and the Surveyors Registration Council during his lifetime.
What happened to Omoigui?
A statement from the family, which verified his passing, stated that Oomogui passed away on Thursday, 14 days after his 91st birthday. Following online reports, it was also verified that he passed away naturally given his age.
“As we announce the passing of Surveyor Daniel Aiyanyo Omoigui, the Egite family of Isi in Uhunmwode LGA, Edo State, and the entire Egite family of the Edo Kingdom, as well as Mrs. Grace Onaiwu Omoigui nee Asemota (late) and the entire Asemota family of Ogbe Quarters, Oredo LGA, Edo State, we are both heartbroken
Surveyor Daniel Omoigui, our greatly loved father and grandpa, was called to rest in the Lord on November 24, 2022, according to a statement released on Friday by his eldest son, Sota Omoigui.
One of the official statements from the Facebook page reads,
Ex-Surveyor-General Daniel Omoigui is Dead Ex-Surveyor-General Omoigui, who demarcated Nigeria’s state boundaries, is dead.
Before his death, Mr. Omoigui was chairman of the DAGOMO Foundation, an organization established to raise elderly care in Nigeria and the world.
Daniel Aiyanyo Omoigui, Nigeria’s former Surveyor-General, best known for his roles in resolving boundary disputes among Nigerian states, is dead.
Mr. Omoigui died on Thursday, his family said, 14 days after his 91st birthday.
“The family of Surveyor Daniel Aiyanyo Omoigui of the Elite family, Isi in Uhunmwode LGA, Edo State, and the entire Elite family of the Edo Kingdom and Barrister Mrs. Grace Onaiwu Omoigui nee Asemota (late) and the entire Asemota family of Ogbe Quarters, Oredo LGA, Edo State, is heartbroken yet thankful for a life of legacy well spent as we announce the passing of our dearly beloved father and grandfather – Surv. Daniel Aiyanyo Omoigui – who was called to rest in the Lord on November 24, 2022,” his oldest surviving son, Sota Omoigui, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.
The late Mr. Omoigui was well regarded for resolving knotty boundary disputes among the country’s federating units by initiating the establishment of the National Boundary Commission, and especially through the work he and his team at the Department of Survey did, beginning after the civil war in 1970.
Negotiation between Nigeria and Cameroon
He was also involved in the negotiation between Nigeria and Cameroon on the Bakassi Peninsula. That territory was later ceded to Cameroon, following international adjudication, and he believes that was the right decision, despite the anger of Nigeria over the ruling. Mr. Omoigui, a chartered and registered surveyor, was born on 10 November 1931, at Iguagban Village, Benin, Edo State.
According to a short profile provided by his family, he started school at age three in a newly established school in the village, went to several primary schools, and in 1939, he joined Benin Baptist School.
Education
In 1947, the government ordered the whole school in Benin to move to Asaba and he moved to Saint Patrick College, formerly Saint Augustine, Asaba, where he was given double promotion owing to his level of brilliance. He then finished his secondary education in less than four years in 1949.
In 1950, he took up a teaching job at Niger College, Benin. While he enrolled for studies at the Rapid Result College, which is now known as Distance Learning.
In 1953, he sat for the entrance exam into the University College, Ibadan, passed the exams and gained admission for further studies by October of that same year. In June, he wrote the Intermediate B.Sc. examination at the University of London and the result came in early December. He passed but could not attend
In the course of the period, he entered into student politics while studying Mathematics. He graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1957. He later left Nigeria and was trained at the Royal School of Military Survey, Newbury Berks, England (1958-1959); the International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation, The Netherlands (1973) and the University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A. (1976).
Career
He joined the Federal Surveys in 1957 and worked extensively in different parts of the country. In 1969, he was in charge of investigations, delimitation, demarcation, and maintenance of international and interstate boundaries.
In 1970, he built the boundaries unit in Federal Surveys and, subsequently, participated in the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary negotiations.
As Director of Federal Surveys, he spearheaded the establishment of the National Boundaries Commission, and the Surveyors Registration Council (SURCON).
He retired as Surveyor-General of the Federation in 1988, the first person to occupy the position after the reforms he drove granted autonomy to the Survey Department.
After retirement from public service, Mr. Omoigui worked as Chairman at Terra Information Services Ltd. He was until his passing, Chairman of DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria LTD/GTE, founding director and former chairman of ReStraL Ltd and Sakoko Holdings Ltd respectively.
He gave full of himself to any endeavor he was involved in. He was a loving husband and a devoted family man. The principles he lived by his entire life and which he passed to his children and all persons he touched were honesty, fairness, and integrity.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Barr. Mrs. Grace Onaiwu Omoigui nee Asemota, and their beloved first son, Nowamagbe Austin Omoigui, MD, FACC. We pray to our Lord to grant him eternal rest.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.