Wachuku's family

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His Excellency The Honourable

Jaja Anucha Ndubuisi Wachuku

Ugo Ngwa LL.D CFR KSC

JajaWachuku01.jpg

Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations Minister of Nigeria

In office

1961–1965

Preceded by None (position created)

Succeeded by Nuhu Bamalli

Ambassador of Nigeria to the United Nations

In office

1960–1961

Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Preceded by None (position created)

Succeeded by Muhammed Ngileruma

Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria

In office

1959–1960

Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Preceded by Sir Frederic Metcalfe [1]

Succeeded by Ibrahim Jalo Waziri

Senator Representing Aba Zone Nigeria

In office

1 October 1979 – 1 October 1983

Preceded by None (position created)

Succeeded by None (Aba Zone abolished)

Personal details

Born 1 January 1918

Nbawsi, Abia State, Nigeria

Died 7 November 1996 (aged 78)

Enugu, Nigeria

Nationality Nigerian

Political party National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons;

Nigerian People's Party

Spouse(s) Rhoda Idu Oona Jaja Wachuku - née: Onumonu

Alma mater Trinity College, Dublin

Profession Lawyer

Religion Christianity Anglican Church of Nigeria

Jaja Anucha Wachuku (1 January 1918[1] – 7 November 1996), a Royal Prince of Ngwaland, "descendant of 20 generations of African chiefs in the Igbo country of Eastern Nigeria" [2] - was a Pan-Africanist; [3] and a globally distinguished Nigerian statesman, lawyer, politician, diplomat and humanitarian. He was the first Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives[4], as well as first Nigerian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations [5]. Wachuku was also the first Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs. [6]

At a time when the United States government had already listed Nelson Mandela as a terrorist in their security books, Jaja Wachuku was a "widely respected" and humane global foreign affairs colossus, whose empathic diplomacy and wise, oneness-of-humanity intervention with the South African government, saved Nelson Mandela and others from death penalty at the 1963-64 Rivonia Trial. [7]

On Thursday 30 September 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria conferred on Wachuku a posthumous special Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary Award for his outstanding contributions towards the development of Nigeria. [8] [9] Also, for the 1 January 2014 100 year anniversary of Nigeria, having been nominated for exceptional recognition by the Presidential Committee on the Centenary Celebrations, Wachuku was, on Friday 28 February 2014,

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