From Fred Itua, Abuja
King Amalate Johnnie Turner has emerged as the paramount ruler of the Oloibiri Kingdom in Bayelsa State. The new traditional ruler is to be known as the Obanibe III of Oloibiri Kingdom, Bayelsa State.
The emergence of King AJ Turner followed a series of selection processes, which culminated in his choice, on Saturday, February 19, following the completion of all processes for the filling of the exalted stool.
Oloibiri is a historic town to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Nigeria’s first commercial oil discovery happened in Oloibiri town by Shell Darcy on January 15, 1956.
The traditional ruler was born on September 30, 1956, at the rustic community of Opume in Ogbia Local Government Area of present-day Bayelsa State, where He rose to become the Paramount Ruler (Obanema) of Opume community in 2007 with the title Obigbo Mikiki 1.
Turner was raised in his hometown, where he started his primary education. Like all young boys and girls of his generation, his primary education was interrupted by the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 — 1970. After the area was liberated by the federal troops and schools reopened, he moved to St Michael’s Primary School, Oloibiri, where he completed his primary education and had his First School Leaving Certificate.
He thereafter gained admission to Government Secondary Commercial School, Ibaa, Rivers State, in 1972, graduating in 1976. He secured employment with the Rivers State Civil Service and was deployed to the Audit Department.
In 1977 he secured admission at the newly-established University of Port Harcourt, where he studied History, and graduated in 1981, as one of the pioneer graduands, along with the likes of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Dr Boladei Igali.
On completion of his university education and mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was upgraded, converted to the Administrative Officer cadre and posted to the Rivers State Ministry of Works. Still, in search of self-improvement, he later enrolled at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho in Oyo State for his Master’s degree programme in Business Administration, majoring in Cost Management.
As a result of his hard work, he was appointed as a Permanent Secretary on October 25, 1998, before retiring on March 1, 2008, after 32 years of meritorious, unblemished service spanning Rivers and Bayelsa.
his civil service career, he served in various capacities but specifically as a Permanent Secretary, he worked in the General Services Office in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, and later in the Ministries of Works, Transport as well as Health.
Turner’s last posting before retirement was as the pioneer Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Capital City Development Authority (CCDA) where he worked for two years between 2006 and 2008. Just before retiring, he was called to serve his people as a traditional ruler in 2007.
King AJ Turner has held several positions of responsibility including Chairman, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) between 2009 and 2011; Chairman, Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL); Member, University of Port Harcourt Governing Board and Chairman, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He is currently the Chairman of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).
King Turner is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Administrators (CIPA) and the Chartered Institute of Cost Managers of Nigeria. He is the proud recipient of the Gold Medal Award of the Chartered Professional Fellows of Public Administration.
King Turner is engaged in philanthropy. He has awarded scholarships to hundreds of indigent students. He established and sponsors the Prof EJ Alagoa chair for Niger Delta Studies at the University of Port Harcourt.
He is the founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a flourishing conglomerate, Trenur Group Nigeria Limited, a portfolio that has an interest in construction, oil servicing and engineering services. The group has over 500 staffers in its employment.