Bayelsa Governor Pays Tribute After Death of Former Minister Turner Isoun

(Diri mourns former minister, Turner Isoun. Photo Credit: Leadership News)

The Ijaw nation, Bayelsa State, and Nigeria have suffered a great loss with the passing of former Minister of Science and Technology Turner Isoun, according to Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.

Speaking during a condolence visit to the Isoun family in Abuja, Mr. Diri led a delegation from the Bayelsa State Government. The governor visited last weekend, according to a press release.

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, described the late professor of veterinary medicine and pathology, Turner Isoun, as more of a father than a mentor to him, recalling his contributions to the Ijaw struggle and the development of the riverine state.

Isoun died on 15 July at the age of 87. He served as Minister of Science and Technology from 2000 to 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and was the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, now Rivers State University.

Diri described the late professor as an academic colossus whose contributions to scholarship, science and national development were outstanding and immeasurable.

He also recalled Isoun's role in advancing Nigeria's information and communications technology sector during his time as minister, noting that the Odi-born scientist would be remembered for his candour, wise counsel and commitment to Ijaw socio-cultural values.

The governor added that Isoun's contributions extended beyond academia and public service into the struggle for resource control and the creation of Bayelsa State.

Recalling a moment he said demonstrated the late professor's commitment to the Ijaw cause, Diri narrated that in 1995, following the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists by the military government, the Ijaw National Congress drafted a letter condemning the killings.

Diri, who was then the organisation's National Organising Secretary, said Isoun was chairman of its Central Zone at the time. He and Godspower Oporomo, now Bayelsa State Commissioner for Ijaw Affairs, were tasked with circulating the letter for members to sign.

Diri said that although he expected Isoun to be cautious given the risks of openly opposing the military government, the professor signed the letter without hesitation, an act he said showed how seriously Isoun took Ijaw matters.

The governor also recalled Isoun's work at the Wetland Centre in Yenagoa, where he taught young people, including Diri himself, about the environment and the need to protect the region, noting that his involvement in resource control, environmental protection and the creation of Bayelsa State left unforgettable footprints.

Diri extended the condolences of the Bayelsa State Government to the Isoun family and urged them to find solace in the late professor's contributions to the development of the state and the country.

Responding on behalf of the family, Diseye Isoun thanked Diri and the Bayelsa State Government for the visit and support following his father's death, and also expressed gratitude to Nigerians, the Ijaw nation and friends of the family around the world for their prayers, calls and other expressions of support.

Also paying tribute, Isoun's wife, Miriam Isoun, reflected on their more than five decades of marriage and the partnership they shared in family life, education and public service, noting that as they grew older together, they supported one another so that ageing became a privilege rather than a burden.

Isoun was a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences.

He held academic and administrative positions at the University of Nigeria and the University of Ibadan before becoming the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.

As minister, he was associated with efforts to develop Nigeria's ICT infrastructure and advance the country's space programme.

He also served as chairman of the INC Central Zone and was involved in the agitation for the creation of Bayelsa State from the old Rivers State in 1996.

Diri was accompanied on the visit by a former deputy governor, two federal lawmakers, a traditional ruler, a senatorial candidate, and officials from the university and civil service.