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{{Infobox Politician
| name=James Ajibola Ige
| nationality=Nigerian
| image=
| imagesize = 185px
| order=Commissioner for Agriculture
| term_start=January 3, 1967
| term_end=December 23, 1970
| predecessor=None
| successor=Unknown
| order2=[[Governor of Oyo State]]
| lieutenant2=[[Sunday Afolabi]]
| term_start2=1979
| term_end2=1983
| predecessor2=[[Paul C. Tarfa]]
| successor2=[[Victor Olunloyo]]
| order3=Minister of Power and Steel
| term_start3=May 29, 1999
| predecessor3=[[Bashir Dalhatu]]
| successor3=[[Lyel Imoke]]
| term_end3=2000
| order4=Minister of Justice
| lieutenant4=
| term_start4=January 3, 2000
| term_end4=December 23, 2001
| predecessor4=[[Kanu Godwin Agabi]]
| successor4=[[Bayo Ojo]]
| birth_date={{birth date|1930|9|13|mf=y}}
| birth_place=[[Zaria]], [[Kaduna]].
| death_date={{death date and age|2001|12|23|1930|09|13}}
| death_place=[[Ibadan]]
| spouse=Atinuke Ige
| alma_mater=Ibadan Grammar school, [[University of Ibadan]], [[University College London]]
| occupation=[[Lawyer]]
| religion= [[Christian]] [[Anglican]]
| signature=
| party=[[Action Group (Nigeria)]], [[Unity Party of Nigeria]], [[Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)|Alliance for Democracy]]
}}
'''James Ajibola Idowu Ige''' (September 13, 1930 - December 23, 2001) simply known as '''Bola Ige''' was a [[Nigeria]]n lawyer and politician. He became [[Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice|Federal Minister of Justice]] for Nigeria. He was murdered in December 2001.<ref name=bbc/>

==Background==
James Ajibola Idowu Ige was born in Zaria, near [[Kaduna]] in northern Nigeria on September 13, 1930.
His parents were [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] natives of [[Esa-Oke]] village, in the old [[Oyo State]] (now in [[Osun State]]).
Bola Ige left Kaduna and headed south to the Western region at the age of 14.
He studied at [[Ibadan]] Grammar School (1943–48), and then at the [[University of Ibadan]]. From there, he went to the [[University College London]] where he graduated with a Law degree in 1959. He was called to the bar in London's [[Inner Temple]] in 1961.<ref name=obit>{{cite web
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/jan/01/guardianobituaries
|title=Bola Ige - Dedicated lawyer building bridges in Nigerian politics
|author=Kaye Whiteman
|date=1 January 2002
|publisher=The Guardian (UK)
|accessdate=2009-11-08}}</ref>

Bola Ige established Bola Ige & Co in 1961, and later became a [[Senior Advocate of Nigeria]].<ref name=lawfirm>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bolaigeandco.com/profile.htm
|title=About the Law Firm
|publisher=Bola Ige & Co
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
He became well known in the country for his oratory prowess, as well as his advocacy work on civil rights and democracy.
Uncommonly, Bola Ige spoke all the three major Nigerian languages, [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], [[Ibo language|Ibo]] and [[Hausa language|Hausa]] fluently.<ref name=olunloyo/> He wrote several books, and an anthology of articles and tributes about him was published shortly after his death.

==Early political career==
During the [[Nigerian First Republic|First Republic]] (1963-1966), at age 31 he was at the center of the [[Action Group (Nigeria)|Action Group]] crisis, when Chief [[Obafemi Awolowo]] was pitted against his deputy, Chief [[Samuel Ladoke Akintola]].<ref name=oln2/>
He became a rival of [[Olusola Olaosebikan]] for succession to Obafemi Awolowo.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://thenewsng.com/interview/my-rivalry-with-bola-ige/2009/07
|title=My Rivalry With Bola Ige
|date=July 27, 2009
|author=Alhaji Lateef Jakande
|publisher=The News
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
Bola Ige was a Commissioner for Agriculture in the now-defunct Western Region of Nigeria (1967-1970) under the military government of General [[Yakubu Gowon]].
In 1967 he became a friend of [[Olusegun Obasanjo]], who was a commander of the army brigade in Ibadan.<ref name=oln2>{{cite web
|url=http://www.onlinenigeria.com/PEOPLE/ad.asp?blurb=52
|title=Bola Ige
|publisher=OnlineNigeria
|accessdate=2009-11-08}}</ref>

In the early 1970s, during the first period of military rule, he devoted his time to the anti-racism campaign of the [[World Council of Churches]].<ref name=obit/>

Towards the end of the 1970s he joined the [[Unity Party of Nigeria]] (UPN), the successor to the Action Group.<ref name=obit/>
When General Olusegun Obasanjo initiated the [[Nigerian Second Republic|Second Republic]], he was elected as [[governor of Oyo State]] from October 1979 to October 1983.<ref name=lawfirm/>
[[Adebisi Akande]], later to be governor of [[Osun State]] after it was split off from Oyo State, was his deputy governor during this period.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite web
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/25/world/emergency-declared-in-nigeria-after-killing-of-justice-minister.html
|title=Emergency Declared in Nigeria After Killing of Justice Minister
|publisher=New York Times
|date=December 25, 2001
|accessdate=2009-11-06}}</ref>
In the 1983 elections, when he ran for reelection as the UPN candidate, he was defeated by Dr. [[Victor Omololu Olunloyo]]. Ige unsuccessfully challenged the election in court. However, Olunloyo lost the seat three months later to a coup staged by Generals [[Muhammadu Buhari]] and [[Tunde Idiagbon]].<ref name=olunloyo>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/23/national-23-10-2009-001.html
|publisher=The Sun
|title=Olunloyo on 1983 Oyo guber
|author=FEMI ADEOTI
|date=October 23, 2009
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>

Ige Bola was detained after the coup, accused of enriching party funds. He was released in 1985, after the next coup, by [[Ibrahim Babangida]], and returned to his legal practice and to writing. In 1990, he published ''People, Politics And Politicians Of Nigeria: 1940-1979'', a book that he had begun while imprisoned.
He was a founder member of the influential Yoruba pressure group, [[Afenifere]]. Although critical of the military rule of General [[Sani Abacha]], Bola Ige avoided political difficulties during this period.<ref name=obit/>

==Third republic==
Following the restoration of democracy in 1999, Bola Ige sought the nomination of the [[Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)|Alliance for Democracy]] party as a presidential candidate, but was rejected.
President Obasanjo appointed Bola Ige as minister of Mines and Power (1999-2000).<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/onabule/today-05-june-2009.htm
|title=Any favour for Sanusi as Gov of Central Bank?
|author=Duro Onabule
|date=June 5, 2009
|publisher=Daily Sun
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
He was not able to make significant improvements to service provided by the monopoly [[National Electric Power Authority]] (NEPA).<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.npf-usa.org/content/Conference/2008/Power%20Sector%20Reform%20in%20Nigeria.pdf
|title=Power Sector Reform in Nigeria: Plans, Progress and Challenges
|author=Jim I Akhere
|publisher=Nigeria Peoples Forum - USA
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>

He then became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2000-2001).<ref name=lawfirm/>
In September 2001 Bola Ige said that the Federal government had initiated a program to re-arrange and consolidate the laws of the Federation, publish them in digital form, and make them available on the website of his ministry.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UN/UNPAN001591.pdf
|title=GOVERNMENT TO REALIGN FEDERATION LAWS
|publisher=United Nations Public Administration Network
|date=14 September 2001
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
He campaigned ardently against the imposition of the Saria Law in the Northern States of Nigeria.<ref name=bbc/>
In November 2001 he said that the Federal government would not allow the [[Sokoto State]] government to execute the judgement of a verdict passed by a [[Gwadabawa]] sharia court to stone a woman, [[Safiya Hussaini]] to death for committing adultery.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Nigeria/newsarchive01/poised.html
|title=FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SOKOTO FIGHT OVER WOMAN'S DEATH SENTENCE
|author=Yakubu Musa, Kano And Isah Ibrahim Maru
|date=November 18, 2001
|publisher=This Day
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>

Bola Ige was about to take up a new position as African's Representative on the [[United Nations International Law Commission]] when he was gunned down in [[Ibadan]], the [[Oyo State]] capital.

==Death==
On 23 December 2001, Bola Ige was shot dead at his home in the south-western city of Ibadan. He had been entangled in squabbles within his [[Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)|Alliance for Democracy]] party in [[Osun State]]. The previous week, the long-running feud between Osun state Governor [[Bisi Akande]] and his deputy, [[Iyiola Omisore]], had apparently contributed to the death of an Osun State legislator, [[Odunayo Olagbaju]].<ref name=bbc>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1726878.stm
|publisher=BBC News
|date=24 December 2001
|title=Troops deployed in Nigeria
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
The government of President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]] deployed troops in south-western Nigeria to try to prevent a violent reaction to the murder.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigerian-troops-deploy-after-ministers-murder-621198.html
|title=Nigerian troops deploy after minister's murder
|author=Alex Duval Smith
|date=26 December 2001
|publisher=The Independent
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
Although various people were arrested and tried for involvement in the murder, including Iyiola Omisore, all were acquitted.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27743.htm
|title=2003 County Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria
|publisher=U.S. Department of State
|date=February 28, 2005
|accessdate=2009-11-05}}</ref>
As of November 2010 the killers had not been found.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article15/indexn3_html?pdate=140909&ptitle=Family,%20friends%20remember%20Bola%20Ige&cpdate=140909
|date=September 14, 2009
|title=Family, friends remember Bola Ige
|author=Iyabo Lawal
|publisher=Guardian
|accessdate=2009-11-07}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

In a speech at his funeral, he was quoted as saying that he was sure that Nigeria was worth living for but he was not so sure that it was worth dying for.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3853859.stm
|title=Is Nigeria worth dying for?
|date=2 July 2004
|author=Sola Odunfa
|publisher=BBC News
|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>

==Books==
* Ige, Bola. ''Golden quotes : a selection of my favourite inspirational quotations''. Ibadan : Pocket Gifts ; Oxford : African Books Collective [distributor], c2000. x, 163 p. ; 19 cm. ISBN 978-129-496-5
* Ige, Bola. ''Detainee’s diary'' Ibadan : NPS Educational, 1992. 262 p. ; 23 cm. ISBN 978-2556-45-9
* {{cite book
|author=Ige, Bola
|title=People, Politics And Politicians Of Nigeria: 1940-1979
|year=1995
|publisher=Heinemann Educational Books
|ISBN=978-129-496-5}}
* Ige, Bola. ''Constitutions and the problem of Nigeria'' Lagos : Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 1995. 36 p. ; 21 cm. ISBN 978-2353-43-4
* {{cite book
|title=Kaduna boy
|author=Bola Ige
|publisher=NPS Educational
|year=1991
|ISBN=978-2556-35-1}}

==External links==
* Banjo, Ayo (Ed.) ''Bola Ige: Passage of a Modern Cicero. An anthology of views, reviews and tributes, dedicated to the Nigerian politician assassinated in 2001.'' B/w illus, 215pp, NIGERIA. BOOKCRAFT LTD, ISBN 978-2030-49-X, 2003 Paperback
* Ladigbolu, A. G. A., prince. ''The success of Bola Ige administration in the old Oyo State of Nigeria'' . [Nigeria] : Lichfield Printing Co., [2003] vii, 160 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. ISBN 978-30498-2-8

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Nigerian Ministers of Justice}}
{{OyoStateGovernors}}
{{State governors in the Nigerian Second Republic}}
{{Cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-2003}}

{{Persondata 
| NAME =Ige, Bola
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Nigerian politician
| DATE OF BIRTH =September 13, 1930
| PLACE OF BIRTH =[[Zaria]], [[Kaduna]].
| DATE OF DEATH =December 23, 2001
| PLACE OF DEATH =[[Ibadan]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ige, Bola}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Nigeria]]
[[Category:Assassinated Nigerian politicians]]
[[Category:Justice ministers of Nigeria]]
[[Category:People murdered in Nigeria]]
[[Category:Governors of Oyo State]]
[[Category:International Law Commission officials]]
[[Category:Action Group (Nigeria) politicians]]
[[Category:Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria) politicians]]
[[Category:Unity Party of Nigeria politicians]]
[[Category:Federal ministers of Nigeria]]
[[Category:People from Zaria]]

[[fi:Bola Ige]]
[[yo:Bọ́lá Ìgè]]

Bola Ige - Revision history

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