‘Professor Tam David-West turned down national award for Cacol Integrity Award’

Center for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, greeted Professor Tam David-West’s passing into eternity with much resentment and regret.

The Professor of Virology, who passed away after being admitted to University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan after a short illness.

He received the CACOL (CIA) Integrity Award in 2013, in recognition of his meritorious service to the country and humanity in general; as well as his uncompromising integrity and disdain for grand corruption and selfishness, which she considered the twin cause of Nigeria’s troubles.

Debo Adeniran, CEO of CACOL, said in a statement that Tam David-West was born in Buguma, Kalabari, in what is now Rivers State.

He obtained his higher education at the University of Ibadan (1956-1958) and earned a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University, 1958-1960, an MS from Yale University, 1960-1962, and a Ph.D. McGill. between 1964 and 1966.

He was at Yale University when Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, and he recalled how elated and proud he was when the Association of which he served as president (the international students at Yale) held an independence party. from Nigeria with much hope and hope for the new nation.

After his studies, he returned to Nigeria and became a Consultant Virologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ibadan in 1969 and was subsequently promoted to Professor of Virology in 1975 at the prestigious university where he taught for many years.

Professor Tam David-West was an insightful scholar who wrote many scholarly articles in virology which appeared in academic journals such as the Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology (1966), Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1973), Inter-virology ( 1974), and Journal of Hygiene (1974).

Later, in 1980, he wrote the book ‘Philosophical Essays: Reflections on the Good Life’, in which he revealed himself as a follower of the British analytical philosopher and social critic Bertrand Russell.

His article at the University of Ibadan’s 1981 annual public lecture on philosophy entitled “God, Nature and the Universe”, remains profound in the human quest for insight and understanding of the mystery of existentialism to this day.

His determination to serve his people began around 1975 and 1979 when he was appointed Commissioner of Education and a member of the Rivers State Executive Council.

He was also a member of the 50-person Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) of General Muritala Ramat Muhammed’s Federal Military Government.

He later served as Federal Minister of Petroleum and Energy under the military government of Muhammadu Buhari and as Minister of Mines, Energy and Steel under General Ibrahim Babangida.

He was eventually dismissed as a minister and arrested by the Babangida regime for allegedly contributing to the country’s economic adversity on the charge of drinking tea and accepting a wristwatch, but was later dismissed and acquitted by a Special Court of Appeal on 8 March. August 1991.

It was after his acquittal that Professor Tam David-West largely decided to stay out of partisan politics and became an outspoken and controversial critic of successive governments.

However, he remained a vocal supporter of Muhammadu Buhari, his former boss whom he wrote two books about: “Who Really Is General Muhammadu Buhari and The Sixteen ‘Sins’ of General Muhammadu Buhari? The first was released in 2009 and the second in 2010 .

It was in recognition of the consistency and clarity of this principled and highly cerebral patriot, that the Center for Anti-Corruption and Leadership Open.

CACOL, in 2013, unanimously chosen to honor and appreciate this prodigy, giving him the CACOL (CIA) Integrity Award which he received with another prominent Nigerian, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, SAM (post humus) in recognition of a service life and integrity.

He used the occasion to reveal how much he valued the CACOL award as he had recently turned down a national honor.

According to him, ‘some of those who would be in front of us on the podium are thieves’. Nigeria would certainly miss his frank and objective analysis and commentary on issues of national importance.

Farewell to a man of honor.