Administrator, Businessman, Teacher
The late Mr. Iti, Thomas Ibitimi hailed from the Angiama community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He was an exceptional administrator who made significant contributions to Nigeria’s public service, most notably as a productive permanent secretary/director-general in the old Rivers State civil service and as Secretary to the State Government of Bayelsa State.
Who was Mr. Iti, Thomas Ibitimi?
Born in 1946 in Forcados, Delta State, Mr. Iti Thomas was a native of the Angiama community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He received his education at Niger Grammar School in Rumuola, Port Harcourt during the 1950s, followed by Methodist College Uzuakoli, the University of Ibadan, and later the Institute of Public Service at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, USA.
His illustrious career in public service began in 1979 when he was appointed Secretary of the Civil Service Commission in Port Harcourt. By May 1980, he assumed the role of acting Permanent Secretary, becoming the substantive holder of the position in October of the same year. He continued serving in this capacity until 1983, during the administration of Melford Okilo. Following the military takeover in December 1983, he was reassigned to field administration, serving as the Sole Administrator of Sagbama and Bonny Local Government Areas from 1984 to 1986. He was reappointed Permanent Secretary in February 1986, a role he fulfilled until the end of 1991.
In 1992, he was appointed by the Federal Government to the Board of the now-defunct Savannah Bank of Nigeria Plc as an Executive Director. During this period, he also served on the Governing Council of the Financial Institutions Training Center in Lagos and spent two years as Director of Savannah Securities Ltd. After completing his term at Savannah Bank in 1995, he became Chairman of Ibitari Nigeria Ltd, a company engaged in business contracting and consultancy services.
Known fondly as Tom, he held positions as a Permanent Secretary in the federal civil service of Nigeria and as Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government. In addition to his administrative roles, he excelled as an athlete, winning numerous medals. Mr. Iti Ibitimi Thomas was married and had several children. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 62.
Parents and Birth
The late Mr. Iti Ibitimi Thomas, commonly known as Tom, was born on September 7, 1946, in Forcados, Delta State. He was the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Ewelubo Iti and Mrs. Felicia Oladubu Iti, both of whom hailed from the Angiama community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Tom had an older sister named Dele.
Education
He received his primary education in Forcados, followed by secondary education at Niger Grammar School in Rumuola, Port Harcourt from 1959 to 1963. The school was established by his relative, Hon. Frank Opigo. After the Nigerian civil war, the Rivers State Government took over the school, renaming it “Rivers State College of Arts and Sciences,” now Elechi Amadi Polytechnic.
After completing his studies at Niger Grammar School in 1963, he furthered his education at Methodist College Uzuakoli, now in Abia State, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate (A Levels). Mr. Iti was a talented athlete, excelling in the 4×100 meters relay and high jump.
In 1967, during the Nigerian civil war, he gained admission to the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Political Science and Administration in 1970. Tom brought honors to the university in various competitions, especially during the West African Universities Games (WAUG). He excelled in high jump, football, and the relay race team.
In 1978, he attended an in-service training program at the Institute of Public Service, University of Connecticut, Hartford, USA, obtaining a certificate in Management. In 1989, he became a Member of the National Institute (mni) after completing the Senior Executive Course 11 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru-Jos, Plateau State, where he earned the nickname “the dancing DG” for his impressive dancing skills.
Career Life
Mr. Tom’s career began in the public sector of the former Rivers State, with a brief teaching stint in 1967 in Uzuakoli, Abia State, just prior to the Nigerian Civil War.
His civil service journey commenced in 1970 with the old Rivers State Government, where he began as an Administrative Officer. Under Melford Okilo’s administration in 1979, he was appointed Secretary of the Civil Service Commission in Port Harcourt. In May 1980, he became acting Permanent Secretary, later becoming the substantive holder of the position in October of the same year. He served until December 1983, when the civilian government led by President Shehu Shagari was overthrown by the military.
Following the military takeover, he was reassigned to field administration, serving as the sole administrator of Sagbama and Bonny local governments from 1984 to 1986. Upon his recall to headquarters in February 1986, he was reappointed as Permanent Secretary and was assigned to the Ministry of Lands and Housing.
During General Ibrahim Babangida’s military government (1985-1993), the title of Permanent Secretary was changed to Director-General. Consequently, Mr. Iti assumed the position of Director-General and was posted to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, later to the Lands and Housing Bureau. During Governor Rufus Ada George’s administration (1992-1993), he retired from the civil service as a Director-General.
Even after retirement, Mr. Iti remained active. In 1992, he was appointed by the Federal Government as an Executive Director on the Board of Savannah Bank of Nigeria PLC. During this period, he also served on the governing council of the Financial Institutions Training Center in Lagos and spent two years as a director at Savannah Securities Ltd. After completing his term at Savannah Bank in 1995, he became Chairman of Ibitari Nigeria Ltd, a private business contracting and consultancy company.
During General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s transitional regime (July 1998 to May 1999), Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Paul Edor Obi served as Administrator of Bayelsa State, and Mr. Thomas Ibitimi Iti was appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Bayelsa State.
Family
Mr. Tom met his first wife, Taiwo Lilian Iti (née Ofongo), an Ijaw woman, in 1965, and they married in 1972. They had four children: Peretimi, Ayibatonye, Ozunimi, and the late Ayibaemi. They enjoyed a blissful marriage until Taiwo’s passing in 1994. Taiwo held the position of Principal Assistant Registrar at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University). In 2004, Mr. Tom married Mrs. Ibaniba Iti (née Briggs) from the Kalabari tribe.
Death
Mr. Iti, Thomas Ibitimi, passed away on June 25, 2008, due to natural causes.
