Lecturer, Politician
Hon. Dr. Engr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha was a quintessential and distinguished gentleman the Niger Delta has ever had. He was a former Executive Chairman of Brass Local Government Council and also an apt Petrochemical Lecturer par excellence.
Synopsis
Born on 25 November 1947 in Opume community in Ogbia Local Government Area of present-day Bayelsa State, he attended the famous Bishop Dimieri Grammar School (BDGS), where he was the Senior Prefect of the 1967 set. After a successful outing with his A’ Level exams in 1970, he went abroad for further studies. In 1984, he qualified as a Ph.D. holder in Chemical Engineering. With this feat, he became the first to achieve such in Bayelsa State. From 1985 to 1991, after returning from the UK, he lectured at several universities in the Niger Delta and left verifiable track records of service in academia. Subsequently, he entered politics and was elected as the council boss of Brass Local Government.
His political career was abruptly terminated by the military-led federal government. He returned to his former job as a lecturer at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. Though heavily battered by life’s challenges, Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha pulled through and later died peacefully on the 1st of February, 2011, at the age of 64.
Parents/Education
Born to the family of the late Chief Amaseimogha Obadiah Azer and Madam Oseimiegha Dorcas (née Akpana), both from the Opume community of Ogbia kingdom in Bayelsa State, he was raised in Opume. Though his parents were not affluent, he had a good upbringing.
He had his primary education at St. Peter’s Primary School, Opume, between 1954 and 1959. He later lived with his elder brother, who was quite mobile due to the nature of his job. Between 1961 and 1962, with his brother’s support, Janus completed his primary education at St. Paul’s Primary School, Kolo, and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate.
In 1963, he moved to Yenagoa for his post-primary education and attended the famous Bishop Dimieri Grammar School (BDGS), Ovom. Unassuming, Janus was an intelligent student. Not surprisingly, the lanky and handsome Janus was made the School’s Senior Prefect in the 1967 set.
Nigeria/Biafra
However, in 1967, just before writing his final exams, the Nigeria/Biafra war broke out. This sad event ravaged the tranquility of the region and disrupted public order. Consequently, the war hampered young Janus’ educational ambitions. He escaped to Lagos, Western Nigeria, for refuge and possibly to enlist in the Nigerian Army. His uncle, the late Mr. Luis Eki Dongha Asi, whom he stayed with, dissuaded him from enlisting and encouraged him to pursue education instead. Heeded his uncle’s advice and resumed schooling in Lagos.
In 1968, he attended the College of Arts and Science, Onikan, Lagos State, Nigeria. He sat for the London G.C.E. and successfully obtained his O’Level and A’Level certificates between mid-1968 and 1970. This paved the way for his university education in 1972.
Education in Europe
He attended the University of Lyon, France, where he obtained a certificate in French language and later studied Chemical Engineering. Subsequently, he moved to the United Kingdom and gained admission to the Polytechnic of the South Bank (PSB), London, in 1975.
In 1977, he earned an H.N.D in Chemical Engineering, with Distinction in Mathematics and Statistics. Still unsatisfied, he enrolled for a certificate course at the Cranfield Institute of Technology, Bedford, UK. In 1979, he proceeded to the University of Portsmouth, Southsea, UK, for further studies and obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc) degree in Fuel/Petroleum Technology in 1980.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
Pushing boundaries was his ultimate goal. He began his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, with a special interest in Gas Flare Design and Environmental Pollution Control, organized by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) in London from 1980 to 1984. Through hard work and due diligence, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1984.
Suffice it to say that Janus Asungha Amaseimogha was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Bayelsa State. With this achievement, he left the United Kingdom for Nigeria. He did his compulsory national service (National Youth Service Corps, NYSC) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Refinery in Warri between 1985 and 1986.
Career Life
Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha had an eventful career. After his national service, he began lecturing at Nigerian tertiary institutions. In 1986, he was employed by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). Later, he transferred his services to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University) in 1989. Some notable friends of his in the academic circle included Dr. D.Y. Puyate and Chief Major Zedikaya Isu. He lectured intermittently at the university until his demise.
Designing a Reactor and Chemical Converter
Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha was not a mere chalk-and-duster academic. He was an avid and practical petrochemist. In the late 1980s, he began designing and fabricating a reactor and chemical converter. His invention was meant to collect waste PVCs (poly pipe materials) from dumping sites and convert them into hydrochloric acid (HCl) and other by-products via a combustion reactor. His project was unprecedented in the Niger Delta.
He started the project without government support, relying on his meager earnings. Despite limited resources, he made significant progress. However, challenges arose that ultimately ended the project; he could not produce a colorless HCl acid by-product as intended. The by-products had coloration issues, which violated industry standards. His research needed further investigation and funding to meet expectations.
Unfortunately, he could not continue the project due to lack of funds, which became a source of frustration for him. Dr. Amaseimogha was disappointed by the government’s lack of support for research and innovation in the academic community. Nonetheless, he handed over a prototype of the chemical converter to Metroplastica Industries, a defunct plastics/polymer production company in the Trans Amadi Industrial Estate, Port Harcourt, for further enhancement and use.
Political Life
In 1988, he was elected a Member of the Constituent Assembly in Abuja, representing the Brass Senatorial District. In 1991, when the political space opened under the former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha tested his popularity in Nigerian politics.
He vied for the office of Chairman of Brass Local Government Council under the National Republican Convention (NRC) party. His party’s primary was keenly contested, and he won. However, some of his kinsmen vehemently opposed his victory at the polls and instituted legal actions. Janus was frustrated by their actions, but he won the case and represented the party in the general election.
In 1993, he won the election and became the Executive Chairman of Brass Local Government. He only held office for six months, instead of the constitutional three-year tenure for elected local government officials. The federal military government created a new local government (Ogbia) from the parent Brass Local Government, which led to the termination of his political career. Consequently, he and others were ousted from office.
Lecturing Again
After his disheartening experiences in politics, he returned to his lecturing position at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. He was a greatly disillusioned man, and life’s challenges took a toll on him. He became heavily dependent on alcohol and became a shadow of himself. His situation worsened with time, and some concerned individuals speculated about witchcraft, voodoo manipulations, and other causes. In black Africa, such things do exist, and bad things sometimes happen to good people.
About His Spouse
Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha was a wonderful family man and admired by many before his challenges began. He was married to Mrs. Immaculata Love Amaseimogha in the early 1970s. She obtained her diploma in Urology/Nephrology from 1977 to 1978, a certificate in Tropical Disease in 1976, and certificates as a State Registered Nurse (SRN) and State Certificated Midwife (SCM) in England from 1975 to 1976.
She later obtained her post-graduate diploma from the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. She was once the Rivers State Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives. She also served as the Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Rivers State chapter. In 1994, she was appointed Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Council and, in 2003, as Commissioner III for the Bayelsa State Civil Service Commission.
She was the founder of several women’s groups, including the Opume Women Progressive Association, Ogbia Na Don Cultural Group, and the Ogbia Women Forum. She served as Vice President of the National Council of Women Societies, Bayelsa State, and held various other leadership positions.
Together, they had five children.
His Death
It was reported that Dr. Janus Asungha Amaseimogha died peacefully in his sleep on the 1st of February, 2011.
