This is a brief attempt to answer the question below from Igboville:
[" Facebook Group - IGBOVILLE QUESTION"
Please help me out here. A young friend of mine asked me who is the greatest governor of Igbo origin. Am torn between Chief Samuel Iheonunaka Mbakwe and Sir Michael Okpara. What do you think? Please give reasons for your position.]
ATTEMPT AT AN ANSWER - by Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu
They lived in different times and clime. Dr. Michael Okpara was the Premier of Eastern Nigeria (Today's South-Eastern states (Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi) and parts of South-South states (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers). He was not elected but chosen over Barrister R. Amanze Njoku and Prof. Eyo Ita and leader of NCNC in the Eastern House of Assembly by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who was heading back to the national scene Lagos preparatory to the Independence of Nigeria. The headquarters of Eastern Nigeria was at Enugu. There were initially three regions - Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Northern Nigeria. A fourth Region was added later Mid-Western Nigeria comprising present Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states more or less. Nigeria during Dr. Michael Okpara's time was a Federation and the Regions could exercise almost the full powers of a nation with the exclusion of non-concurrent powers like Defense & Police Affairs, External Affairs, etc.) Each Region depended mostly on internally generated revenue - East Nigeria on Palm Oil, Western Nigeria on Cocoa, Northern Nigeria on Groundnuts and their pyramids.
