Hon . Daniel Acheneje Ogbadu is of the Akogu Royal House of the ancient Igala kingdom . He was born at Elika in Biraidu district of of Dekina Division of the then kabbah province . An auspicious omen attended his birth in October ,1919 . His father Ogbadu Odoma Abalaka had gone to Idah for coronation rites of his own cousin Atabo ijome as Attah of Igala land .
In 1940 Mr Ogbadu became an evangelist of the Christ Missionaries in many lands and was stationed at Ayingba. He continued his studies until 1944 and did a stinct in teaching . He is an Alumnus of the Dikena middle school. Among his school mates were the very first batch of Igala elites.
Appointed a court scribe in 1946,he was posted to Enjema district now in Ankpa LGA. This was to be the most significant aspect in his life as a young Ogbadu was to meet and marry his first wife during this period .
In June 1949 he was transferred to Dekina district court only to be promoted three month later to Atta’s ‘B’ court ,the highest court in the then Igala Division which handled appeal cases from the 19 district courts .
At the age of 35 , D.A Ogbadu had already served his people as :
(1) as a minister of religion .
(2)School Teacher
(3)Court scribe . He had served virtually in every part of Igala kingdom . His administrative skill and sense of friendship were already legendary . The time was ripe and the young man was ready to move on to serve his people at echelon .A political party ,the Igala Divisional Union .(I.D.U)had come in to existence and he was president of this pioneer outfit.
In 1954 he contested an election in to the federal house of representative,Lagos on the platform of IDU and won convincingly .His talents were quickly spotted in the house proceeding and he was made a member of the house business committee.
Thinking in those days was Igalas were third class people in Northern Nigerian and could never rise to senior ranks in the civil service. Hon. D.A Ogbadu used his position as a minister to correct this feeling .Evidence of his success in doing this could be summarized as follows ;
(1) Upgrading of Dekina middle School to full Secondary School
(2)Upgrading the throne of the Attach Igala from second Class to first Class status
(3)Elevation of Igala civil Servants to Senior ranks as district officers and permanent secretaries .
(4)Extension of scholarships to Igala sons and daughters to studies at home and abroad which produced our first Lawyers , Doctors ,Chemists ,administratiors and even Armies etc
(5)Approval from the regional government for the missionaries to build schools and Clinic in Igala land .
(6)Regional government approved plan to tar roads from Idah to Ankpa and from Ayingba to Shintakun . May the soul of D. A Ogbadu and all Igala past leaders rest in peace .
