Festus Okotie-Eboh

Festus Okotie-Eboh (1919 – January 1966) was a Nigerian politician and former Minister of Finance during the administration of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Okotie-Eboh was born to an Itsekiri Chief, Prince Okotie Eboh in Warri Division, a town along the Benin River in Niger Delta. web|url=http://www.waado.org/UrhoboHistory/WesternNigerDelta/Sagay-2003/Sagay-Ukueku.html%7Ctitle=Chief J. E. Ukueku, Urhobo Leader and Elder Statesman, Queries Professor Itse Sagay's Claims on Warri|website=www.waado.org|access-date=2017-03-29}}</ref> Before his change of ethnicity, he was Chief Festus Samuel Edah. He was a National Treasurer of the Nigerian First Republic party, NCNC, he was also a leader of the Federal Parliamentary Party of NCNC, replacing K.O. Mbadiwe.

Okotie Eboh was born Festus Samuel Edah in Benin River, old Warri division. From 1932 to 1936, he attended Sapele Baptist School. After his secondary education, he worked for a year as a junior assessment clerk in the Local District Office and thereafter went to work at his alma mater as a teacher. In 1937, he was employed by Bata Shoe Company as an accounting clerk; while working as a clerk, he also took his time to study bookkeeping and accounting. In 1944, Bata transferred him to Lagos as a Chief Clerk and the West Coast Accountant. He was in Lagos for a year before returning to Sapele to become Deputy Manager of Sapele branch of the shoe company. In 1947, he was sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia for further training where he obtained a diploma in business administration and chiropody. He left Bata Shoe to establish a timber and rubber business. He was involved in a rubber exporting business trading under the company name of Afro-Nigerian Export and Import Company. The firm exported ribbed smoked sheet rubber to Europe and North America. In 1958, he opened a rubber-creping factory and later in 1963, he started Omimi Rubber and Canvas Shoe factory. He also started a few ventures with two foreign partners: Dizengoff and Coutinho Caro, the partners promoted Mid-West Cement Co, a cement clinker plant in Koko and Unameji Cabinet Works.

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