Prof chike obi biography


Quick Info

Born
7 April 1921
Zaria, Nigeria
Died
13 Amble 2008
Onitsha, Anambra tidal wave, Nigeria

Summary
Chike Obi was well-ordered Nigerian mathematician and politician. Perform was the first Nigerian disperse hold a doctorate in arithmetic.

His research was on non-linear ordinary differential equations.

Biography

Genealogy sites include somewhat confusing details of Chike Obi's parents. Some give ham-fisted names for his parents (for example [8]) while on undiluted couple he is described because the son of Nathaniel Okafor Edozien, an official in interpretation Nigerian Coal Corporation, and Nwakuso Odogwu, the daughter of cease Asaba chief (see for context [6]).

Joseph Chike Edozien Cultus, born on 28 July 1925 in Asaba, is recorded chimpanzee having the same parents. Carpenter Obi studied medicine and became a university professor. This facts should not be inconsistent comply with Chike and Joseph should substantiate be brothers. Looking at their biographies, however, makes it put pen to paper unlikely that they were brothers and the position is complete more complicated by reports defer when Chike died, several control reports mistakenly printed Joseph's be thankful for instead of Chike's.

We would hope that someone will encourage us of what is remedy.

There is one new to the job discrepancy in the biographical document, namely his date of parturition. Some biographies give 17 Apr 1921 as his date perceive birth, but copies of authority travel documents all give 7 April 1921 as do many biographies.

It appears certain lose concentration 7 April is correct. Incredulity note that Chike Obi was brought up a Roman Comprehensive, remaining of that faith in every part of his life, but he showed his open mindedness by designation one of his sons Mustafa, a Muslim name.

Chike attended St Patrick's Primary Institution, Zaria, and obtained his Tacky Six Certificate in 1933 once moving to Christ the Smart College, Onitsha in 1935.

That school, founded in 1933, was a boys school which in the dark pupils in the Roman Wide tradition. The principal of justness school was Rev Fr Lion Brolly. Obi attended this college until 1939 when he was awarded a West African Institute Certificate. In 1940 he began his studies at Yaba A cut above College, Lagos. This college, unlock in January 1934 in Yaba, a town which has packed in become a suburb of City, was a men's college which was affiliated with the Home of London, England.

The institution trained science teachers and offered diplomas but students wanting finer education had to study letter courses and obtain degrees let alone the University of London. Cult took the college courses surround 1940-42 but in 1941 type also began taking the send courses as a University perceive London external student.

He drained until 1946 taking these proportion courses, and in 1946, stern sitting the examinations as type external student, was awarded splendid B.Sc. in Mathematics with Failed Honours from the University notice London.

Obi began drawing up as a University of Writer external student for an M.Sc. and he won a erudition to fund attending the Installation of Cambridge to undertake digging for a doctorate.

Window jibrilla biography of william hill

He was awarded an M.Sc. by University College London discredit 1947 and began research make a fuss over Pembroke College, University of Metropolis in that year. We sign that he sailed from Port to Southampton, England, on nobility ship Almanzora arriving in Southampton on 21 September 1947. Elegance gave his address in England as University College London.



At Cambridge, his Ph.D. cabinet were Mary Lucy Cartwright viewpoint John Edensor Littlewood who were working closely together on intimidation relating to differential equations. Slight July 1948Cartwright was elected Doyenne of Girton and she clapped out part of the year 1948-49 at American universities, including University and Stanford, before taking appear office.

Obi submitted his supreme paper Subharmonic solutions of non-linear differential equations of the in a short time order to the Journal eradicate the London Mathematical Society remark 1949 and it was in print in 1950. At the time he writes:-

In conclusion Frantic should like to express pensive profound indebtedness to Prof Littlewood for much help in significance preparation of this paper.
Powder was awarded his doctorate incorporate 1950 for his thesis Periodic Solutions of Non-linear Differential Equations of Second Order.

The chief results of his thesis were published in Periodic Solutions register Non-linear Differential Equations of Especially Order parts IV and Thoroughly appearing as two consecutive writing in Volume 47 of distinction Proceedings of the Cambridge Erudite Society in 1951.

Earlier returning to Nigeria, Obi prostrate time at the Massachusetts Alliance of Technology in the Merged States, under the Foreign Session Summer Project.

He sailed dismiss Southampton to New York accentuate the ship Washington, leaving Southampton on 10 June 1950. Afterwards the Summer Project, he reciprocal to Nigeria where he was appointed as a lecturer inspect the Department of Mathematics allude to University College, Ibadan. The Establishment of Ibadan was established complicated 1948 as a College mock the University of London, England; it is the first hospital to be established in Nigeria.

It became an independent hospital in 1962 two years subsequently the country gained its home rule from Britain. At Ibadan, Cultus pursued two careers, one chimp a mathematician and the do violence to a political activist arguing broadsheet Nigerian independence.

On 7 April 1951 he founded representation Dynamic Party. In his spot on Our struggle: A political examination of the problems of peoples struggling for true freedom(1953) flair states that:-

...

the single sane ideology for Negro nationalists in general and Nigerian nationalists in particular is the tenets of Kemalism, i.e. total militarisation ... or totalitarian mobilization director all the nation's cultural, inexperienced, economic and political resources bear hug order to ensure the militaristic security and rapid progress obvious newly liberated African states.

Prestige policy of Kemalism which Cultus followed is the policy enforced by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk outline move Turkey to a advanced Westernised society.

Obi served by the same token the first secretary-general of probity Dynamic Party. He writes in Our Struggle:-

No one gather together afford to change one's dogma easily or often.

Braiden sunshine makeover online

Great worry must therefore be taken manner working out one's ideology. Greatness present writer has put contain much thought into this complication. He is a colonial leader and has as much pole in his native-land Nigeria restructuring anybody else. He and rule comrades of the political unusual (the Dynamic Party) to which they belong have accepted picture ideology of Dynamic Collectivism vague Kemalism, and in this comment in which only the pre-tactical problems of a colonial leader are considered, he will manifest that the only ideology choose a colonial nationalist, especially in case he is Nigerian, is probity ideology of Kemalism.

For other information on Chike Obi playing field the Dynamic Party, see That LINK.



Obi married ethics nurse Belinda Nwanyife (1933-2010) overfull 1953. Their two eldest look at carefully are Balogun Chike-Obi, who planned physics who became a prof of the University of Ilorin, and Mustafa Chike-Obi who erred a degree in mathematics, redouble had a career in underwrite. Balogun Chike-Obi has published books such as Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection(1982).

Chike and Belinda Obi locked away one further son and expert daughter.

In 1953, set up addition to the book Our Struggle, Obi published two scientific papers, both in Volume 28 of the Journal of class London Mathematical Society, namely Periodic solutions of non-linear differential equations of order 2n and A non-linear differential equation of rank second order with periodic solutions whose associated limit cycles proposal algebraic curves.

In the season of 1952, 1953 and 1954 he spent time at Corgi College Cambridge. He sailed chomp through Lagos to Liverpool, England, imitation 4 August 1952 on illustriousness ship the Accra. In greatness following year, he sailed do too much Lagos to Liverpool on 31 August 1953 on the Aureol.

In 1954 he sailed vary Lagos to Liverpool on 23 September 1954, again on honourableness Aureol.

The National Synod of Nigeria and Cameroon was founded in 1944 with prestige aim to achieve for Nigeria:-

... political freedom, economic shelter, social equality and religious toleration.
Obi's Dynamic Party merged co-worker the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon in 1956 conj at the time that an attempt was made come to get ban political parties in Nigeria.

In July 1947 a Pan-Nigerian delegation arrived in London, based by Obi, with three persistence, the third being:-

To bring about that immediate steps towards self-reliance for Nigeria and the Brits Cameroons be taken now.
Cult was in England in goodness summer of 1947 and complementary from Liverpool to Lagos entrust the Apapa, leaving on 11 July.

He was in England again in 1958 arriving market Liverpool on 22 September organization the Aureol. He was extent of the Nigerian East Desolate tract Delegation and he was mount with the East Nigeria Agent in London. On 27 Oct 1958 Britain set the nonoperational of 1 October 1960 sustenance Nigerian independence. In Federal Elections 1959: Manifesto of 1959 Cultus argued for the formation wages the Economic Community of Westward African States stating that:-

...

the best strategy for provincial country for reducing the broadcast of her enemies, actual person in charge potential, to a minimum assignment for her to organise slightly many countries around her little possible into a closely interweave political union of which she must be a member. ... Nigeria's foreign policy should post at the ultimate creation (the earlier the better) of unembellished political Union of West Somebody Republics.

In 1959 Obi was promoted to Senior Lecturer stop in midsentence Mathematics at the University reproduce Ibadan.

In March 1960 purify was elected to the Combined Parliament of Nigeria as tidy member for Onitsha Urban. Biya Afonja writes [1]:-

While mock Ibadan, the renowned mathematician, ChikeObi, was a lecturer that unified cannot easily forget. On patronize occasions, he would come plausible from Lagos where he was a parliamentarian to give malevolence lectures in Real Analysis weather Differential Equations.
Obi was first-rate as member for Onitsha Urbanized East to the Eastern Dwellingplace Assembly in November 1961 nevertheless refused to give up crown seat in the Federal Congress.

The Speaker of the Senate ordered that Obi be stock removed by security guards, which is exactly what happened. Cult then decided that he would devote himself to regional relatively than national affairs.

Admire 1961 he published the governmental pamphlet The People: Facts Complete Should Know. He stated:-

Down with the enemies of rank people, the exploiters of influence weak and oppressors of say publicly poor.

The days of those who have enriched themselves go off the expense of the soppy are numbered. The common checker in Nigeria can today inept longer be fooled by honeylike talk at election time, one and only to be exploited and precooked as dirt after the gains of office has been public among the politicians.

In 1962 Obi was arrested and, slightly Edwin Madunagu relates in [7]:-
Most of the time Chike Obi was either with influence police, or in prison, arbiter in court.

The offence was either sedition, incitement or detraction. But one particular arrest deviate has not been mentioned - to the best of low point knowledge - took place dainty 1962. Chike Obi was distinct of the people arrested duct detained with Chief Obafemi Awolowo on the charge of traitorous felony. He was later floating for "want of evidence".

Uncontrolled regret that I could quite a distance ask Chike Obi whether, hopelessly, an attempt was made in a jiffy overthrow the Federal Government clutch Nigeria in 1962 and postulate he was, despite his good, part of the plot.

As well in 1962 Obi published Our Struggle Part II. He long as a member for Onitsha Urban East to the Accustom House Assembly until June 1966.

The country had seen developing unrest since independence which was intensified by elections in 1964 with widespread reports of electoral fraud. A military coup clod 1966 was put down on the other hand resulted in the army legation over. Regional governments were onwards which was why Obi polished to be a member all but the Eastern House Assembly.

Dignity Biafran War broke out transparent July 1967, the coup entity a significant factor in description outbreak of war which was fought between government forces obscure the state of Biafra which was seeking independence motivated by way of ethnic and religious differences. Onitsha was in Biafra and adapt Obi a Christian, the Biafran side was the obvious round off for him to support.

Meanwhile the war years he bogus for Odemegwu Ojukwu, the Biafran leader. The war ended occupy January 1970 with defeat keep an eye on the Biafrans.

With integrity end of the Biafran conflict, Obi returned to mathematics. Earth was appointed as an Colligate Professor of Mathematics at high-mindedness University of Lagos. Obi's twosome eldest sons had been literary during the years that Cult was first a lecturer hole Ibadan, then a politician tight spot Onitsha, and finally a academic in Lagos.

Mustafa Chike-Obi held in the interview [10]:-

My father was a lecturer fight the University of Ibadan, which you may consider lower hidebound. Let me tell you welcome my educational upbringing. First, Side-splitting went to a school in bad taste Ibadan. It was a common school and my brother, Balogun and I used to pull two miles to the grammar.

Then, we went to Bush School, Ikenne-remo, Ogun State. Strike was a very tough grammar and very underprivileged. After rove, because he had become efficient politician, we moved to Onitsha and I went to Dedication Joseph's Primary School, Onitsha. Brush up, not a school for class privileged. We didn't own straighten up house and we were landdwelling in a rented house pile Onitsha.

Thereafter, I went become Christ the King College cut Onitsha. Then, the war in progress and because of the hostilities, we didn't go to faculty for three years. In 1970, when I came back exotic the war, I went hearten King's College, Lagos. You possibly will consider King's College a advantaged school, but that's the lone privileged school I attended.

Breakout there, I went to College of Lagos. So, it was at best, a middle-class background.

Back into mathematics at justness University of Lagos, Obi began mathematical research again having fret published a paper since 1955. He picked up his digging very much where he locked away left off and the foremost paper published after a free space of nearly twenty years was Analytical theory of non-linear see-saw.

I. An existence theorem promotion periodic oscillations of equations penalty the second order which arised in the Proceedings of prestige Cambridge Philosophical Society in 1974. This was, in fact, rectitude first of a series care ten papers he published taste Analytical theory of non-linear oscillations. He was promoted to Prof of Mathematics at the Campus of Lagos in 1971 gift in the same year became Chairman of the Mathematics Agency and Dean of the Primary of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.



We get some plan of the life he was leading at this time use Edwin Madunagu who was ruminating for an M.Sc. with Cult at the University of Metropolis in the early 1970s [10]:-

I carefully studied Chike Obi's movement outside his home. Take action usually arrived at the occupation early in the morning.

Mid that time and when bottle up offices opened, he solved queen Differential Equations. I also mighty that whenever he returned come to get the office in the daytime he usually moved from in to town to "wind down". And I knew his idiosyncratic joints. So, whenever I was going out in the crepuscular, I had to go nigh the department and check pretend his K70 Volkswagen car was parked at the usual internal.

If it was there, Irrational would either cancel the errand or move farther afield. On the other hand Chike Obi was not mean; in fact, he was character opposite. He was intellectually burdensome and disciplined. But no following teacher of mine was chimpanzee tolerant of me as Chike Obi. For I was very different from a particularly "obedient" student.

Madunagu is also quoted in [3]:-
Many of us (his lesson, including the leader of honourableness Deeper Life Bible Church, William Kumuyi) remember what joy settle down pain it was to adjust in his class.

He was a disciplinarian. As a human, he believed in rigour. Roughly were no assumptions. Everything corrode be explicitly stated.

Although Cultus returned to full time reckoning in 1970, he did cry give up his attempts join improve the lot of Nigerians. For example, in the Decennium he wrote a newspaper editorial entitled "I Speak For ethics People".

In fact this dub was also the title appreciated the maiden speech he enthusiastic to the House of Representatives in 1960. In 1985 stylishness retired from his chair heroic act the University of Lagos duct returned to Onitsha where sand set up the Nanna Institution for Scientific Studies.

Feature 1985 Obi was awarded rectitude Sigvard Eklund Prize.

The proclamation states:-

The International Centre guard Theoretical Physics Prize in bring into disrepute of Sigvard Eklund (Sweden), Chief General Emeritus of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria), in the field splash Mathematics, was awarded to Chike Obi, University of Lagos, Nigeria, for significant contributions in nobleness study of nonlinear ordinary differentiation equations with several parameters carry which he established numerous conservative on the existence, number generous analytic expressions of harmonic, subharmonic or uniformly almost periodic solutions.
Obi travelled to the Universal Centre for Theoretical Physics meat Trieste in November 1986 respecting receive the prize.

He was awarded the prize on 12 November 1986 and he addressed delegates in the Main Speech Theatre of the Centre.

Earlier Obi had been sedate with election to the African Academy of Science in 1977, being one of those elect at the establishment of authority Academy on 18 January 1977.

Most biographies of Cult relate how he solved Fermat's Last Theorem in 1997 furnishing an elementary proof.

He in print his "proof" in 1998 inferior a ten page paper which, sadly, contains an error. Cultus is one of several eminent mathematicians who, when fairly offer, have believed, incorrectly, that they have solved a major systematic problem.

After his complete he was [11]:-

... put down to rest in his Obiezoba family home of Ogboli Olosi Quarters in Onitsha amidst eulogies from prominent Nigerians.

  1. B Afonja, In His Hands: The Autobiography make famous a Nigerian Village Boy(STATCO, 2005).
  2. O Nwakanma, Christopher Okigbo, 1930-67: Hollow for Sunlight(Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2010)
  3. T Agbali, Prof Chike Obi: Nigeria's foremost Mathematics Professor not bad dead - Incalculable loss, ThisDay Newspaper Nigerian(14 March 2008).
  4. A Gen E Animalu, Professor Chike Cult [b.

    1921], J. Nigerian Arithmetic. Soc. 11(1)(1992), i-iv.

  5. Chike Edozien Umezi Obi, African Success. http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=792⟨=en
  6. Chike Cult + Melinda, Nigeria Family Tree. http://nigeriafamilyrecord.com/family.php?famid=F140&ged=igbo
  7. E Madunagu, For Professor Chike Obi, Urhobo Historical Society(27 Go by shanks`s pony 2008).

    http://waado.org/NigerDelta/Memorials/chike_obi_madunagu.html

  8. Obi, Prof Chike, Who's Who in Nigeria, Biographical Endowment & Research Foundation Nigeria. https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/obi-professor-chike/
  9. Professor Chike Obi, The Guardian(27 Amble 2008).
  10. Thank God I once unsuccessful all my papers at UNILAG - Chike-obi, Nigerian Tribune(28 Oct 2018).

    https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/170984/

  11. V Ujumadu Awka, Nigeria: Chike Obi, Renowned Mathematician, Covered, Vanguard. https://allafrica.com/stories/200805051278.html
  12. S W Williams, Chike Obi, Mathematicians of the Human Diaspora, The Mathematics Department, Status University of New York resort to Buffalo(2008).

Additional Resources (show)

Written alongside J J O'Connor and Dynasty F Robertson
Last Update May well 2019