Dr Bernard William Mafeni - The Last Isoko man in a Federal Cabinet

 Mr Bernard Oghen William Mafeni, former Federal Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources was born on November 4, 1932 in Kano. He is a native of Uzere in Isoko South Local Govern- ment Area of Delta State.

He received his primary education at Saint Thomas Frimary School, Kano from 1938 to 1945. In 1946 he entered Saint Theresa's College, Gummi in Minna, Niger State and finished up in 1947 after sitting for the Teachers' Grade III Certificate Examination. Mr Mafeni obtained the Teachers' Grade II Certifi- cate in 1952 after two years studies at the College of Mary Immaculate, Kafanchan. He was admitted into the then Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria in 1954 where he read for Advanced Level papers in the General Certificate of Education for three years. In 1958 he enrolled at the University College, Ibadan and in 1961 graduated in English. In 1964 he obtained a Diploma in Phonetics and Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and a year later a Master of Letters (Linguistics) from the same University.

Career wise, Mr Mafeni has had a wide and varied experience. As a teacher he rose to the rank of senior tutor at Saint Malachy's Teacher Training College in 1957. During his teaching career he was Rural Science teacher and put into wide practice the experience he had gained on the school farms in Teachers Training Colleges. After graduating in 1961 he joined the Federal Public Service as an Assistant Secretary. He resigned the following year to join the teaching staff of the University of Ibadan as an Assistant Lecturer. He was promoted Lecturer, Grade II in 1966 and Grade I in 1967. Mr Mafeni was first appointed Commissioner for Agriculture in the then Mid-West State in 1971. He held this Portfolio till January 1975 when he resigned and was appointed Chairman/Chief Executive of the Mid-West Farms Management Board. In August 1975 he was appointed a Federal Commissioner and assigned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and in August 1978 Mr Mafeni took charge of the combined Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Resources.

Dr Bernard William Mafeni Contributed a great deal to the Isoko Culture, Published the book Ògbéí Ávọ́ Ụ́w̱ụ́zụ̀: An Isoko Tortoise Story in 1969.

Shockingly, he's the last Isoko Man in a Federal Cabinet 1975.