Assistant Editor, CHUKWUDI NWEJE, profiles former Minister of Petroleum, Professor Tam David-West, who joined the league of octogenarians penultimate Friday.
“Steadfastness and forthrightness on good governance, democracy, human rights and the unity of Nigeria,” were the words President Muhammadu Buhari used to described Professor Tamunoemi Sokari David-West, when he marked his 80th birthday on Friday, August 26, 2016.
A peep into David-West’s life, indeed, shows that he merited every word used to describe him.
For over four decades now, David-West has dedicated his life to building Nigeria. He traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria in different capacity, working to uplift the country.
An academic, who dedicated his life to the classroom where he moulded future leaders in both character and learning, David-West was also in government in various capacities, twice as minister, where he worked to shape the public service.
Conscience of the nation, he is a critic who weighed government policies and how they affected the country and the citizenry.
A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina, quoted President Buhari to have said that David-West had remained steadfast at a time some seem to easily give up on the project of building one great nation.
A place in history
Compilation of Nigeria’s history will not be complete if David-West’s name is missing. This is not because he headed the Ministry of Petroleum, the mainstay of the country’s economy.
This much was acknowledge by Buhari in a statement issued by his spokesman.
In the statement, the President showered encomia on the octogenarian for his steadfastness and forthrightness on good governance, democracy, human rights and the unity of Nigeria. He assured that David-West’s place in the annals of Nigeria is guaranteed.
“President Buhari assures the octogenarian that his place in Nigeria’s history is guaranteed for the statesmanship, fearlessness, intellectual depth, resourcefulness and versatility that he brought into public discourse.
“The President prays that the Almighty God will continue to grant the former minister good health and more fruitful years of service to his fatherland,” the statement added.
Life of service
David-West’s life of service to the fatherland dates back to 1969 when he was a consultant virologist and senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan (UI). He was later appointed professor of virology at the College of Medicine, UI, in 1975 and since then has not looked back.
He has served Nigeria in several other capacities. He was Commissioner for Education and member of the Executive Council of Rivers State from 1975 to 1979.
From moulding the minds of men, David-West also played his role in moulding the nation as one of the men that shaped Nigeria’s Presidential System in the Second Republic. He served in the 50-man Constitution Drafting Committee set up by the military regime of Generals Murtala Muhammed/Olusegun Obasanjo to prepare the framework for the Second Republic.
Even when the military overthrew the Second Republic on December 31, 1983, David-West was one of the people called to help steer the ship of the nation.
He served the military government as minister in two different regimes, first as Minister of Petroleum and Energy in the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led regime from 1984–1985. And when General Ibrahim Babangida ousted Buhari in August 1985, David-West was re-appointed minister and redeployed to the Ministry of Mines, Power and Steel.
He served until 1986 when he was relieved of his portfolio.
Go-getter
David-West is a go-getter who gave his best to his task. As a teacher who moulded the character of men, David-West understands that teacher education in imparting knowledge because teachers, among others, help to develop human capacity.
The Rivers State Education policy that provided for the establishment of an Advanced Teachers Training College (ATTC) for the production of qualified teachers was drafted under him as Commissioner for Education.
In 1971, ATTC, Port Harcourt was established to produce non-graduate teachers. Between 1971 and 1974, the Ministry of Education controlled the affairs of the college, so staff were recruited and deployed to the college by the Ministry, through the Public Service Commission.
Accused and acquitted
In 1990, the General Babangida-led regime accused David-West of contributing to the economic adversity of the country. He was accused of enriching an America-based oil company, Stinnes Interoil, to the tune of $57,117,443, thereby contributing to the economic difficulty of the country at the time.
David-West was arraigned before the Special Military Tribunal on Recovery of Public Property. He was tried for corrupt practices, found guilty and sentenced to 10 years by the military tribunal.
However, the Special Appeal Tribunal quashed his conviction and set him free on August 8, 1991.
Political life
David-West is neither a card-carrying member of any political party nor did he seek elective office, but he proved Aristotle’s assertion that man is “a political animal” true. He was not directly involved in the ‘murky turf’ of the country’s politics, but he played on the intellectual level.
He is an outspoken and controversial critic of government policy and always aired his views on strong national issues, not minding whose ox is gored. His was a politics of analysing national issues with contemporary trend and then giving his opinion. He criticised the unconstitutionality of the advisory council established by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, and he voiced caution against government unreservedly opening its doors to United States (U.S.) intelligence.
In 2011, he supported Chibuike Amaechi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for re-election as governor of Rivers State. And in 2015, he supported Buhari as the then All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate. His support for Buhari was rooted in two key areas of economic revival, especially the petroleum sector. He even wrote a thesis on premium motor spirit (PMS) refining cost and scarcity as well as pricing of petrol in the country.
Despite his support for Buhari, David-West did not spare the President when, in April 2016, his government increased the pump price of PMS to N145 from N86.50.
David-West’s PMS refining cost analysis
One barrel of crude oil = 42 gallons or 159 litres;
Nigeria’s four refineries have combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day.
Ageing has depreciated the capacity of the refineries by 30 per cent i.e. 133,500 barrels per day.
133,500 barrels = 21.2 million litres
Local required consumption (F.O.S.) = 12 million litres.
It means that even our moribond refineries can actually meet our local consumption need of petroleum.
The cost structure of crude oil (i.e. Qua Iboe Crude Oil) production: Findings/development $3.5
*Production cost $1.5
*Refining Cost $12.6
*Pipeline/transportation $1.5
*Distribution/bridging fund margin $15.69
Cool true cost of one litre of petroleum anywhere in Nigeria;
– Total sum cost = $34.8
– 1ltr cost = $34.8/159 litres = $0.219
– Naira equiv. 0.219xN160= N35.02k
– Add tax N5 + N35.02 = N40.02
“Let FGN refute the above composition, and if not, they should tell us how they came about N65/litre.
“Locally-refined products cannot be sold at international price.
“We really do not need FGN subsidy as there was none in the first place. What is lacking, is the will to enforce law on corruption,” David West said when he campaigned that petrol price would come down if the APC won the 2015 presidential election.
Birth and education
David-West was born in Buguma, Kalabari, in what is now Rivers State on August 26, 1936.
He started his higher education at the UI (1956–1958) and earned a BSc. degree at Michigan State University (1958–1960), an MSc degree at Yale University (1960–1962), and a PhD degree at McGill University (1964–1966).
David-West was consultant virologist and senior lecturer at UI in 1969 and was subsequently promoted to professor of virology in 1975.
Publications
David-West has published many academic papers in virology that have appeared in scholarly journals such as Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology (1966); Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1973) Intervirology (1974); and Journal of Hygiene (1974).
He has also written philosophical essays: ‘Reflections on the Good Life’ (1980), in which he described himself as a follower of British analytic philosopher and social critic, Bertrand Russell.
His lecture in philosophy ‘God, Nature and the Universe’ (1981) was delivered at the UI.