Samuel
Okoye
Samuel
Ejikeme Okoye
(26 July 1939 – 18 November 2009) was a Nigerian astrophysicist from Amawbia in Anambra State, Nigeria . He later became a British citizen in 2005.
Samuel was the first black African to obtain a doctorate in Radio Astronomy.[citation needed]
Early life and education
Samuel
was born in Umuahia, in the old eastern region of Nigeria, to Simon and Agnes
Okoye. He was the fifth of nine children. His father died late 1949 when Samuel
was just ten. He was raised by his mother and Eldest brother Denise Okoye.
Samuel
obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc) from the University of London and
a doctorate degree (PhD) in Radio Astronomy from Churchill College,
Cambridge in
the United Kingdom, making him the first
black African to obtain a doctorate in Radio Astronomy.
Samuel
was a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science as well as the Royal
Astronomical Society of
the United Kingdom. He was a member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. He was a member of the New York Academy
of Sciences, International Network of Engineers and Scientists for
Global Responsibility
and the International
Astronomical Union.
He
started teaching Physics at the University of Ibadan in 1965 and later
transferred to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)just before
the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war. He was elevated to a
professorship in physics in 1976. Between 1978 and 1989,Professor Okoye was
appointed the Director, Division of General Studies, Head Department of Physics
and Astronomy; Associate Dean and later Dean of the Faculty of Physical
Sciences, all at the University of Nigeria.He was elected as Dean of the School
of Post Graduate Studies in 1987. Professor Okoye also acted during the summer
of 1978 as Vice Chancellor of UNN.
Samuel
published numerous scientific papers on Ionosphere Physics, Solar Physics,
Theory of Extragalactic Radio Sources and Cosmology. He also published a monograph,
Viable and Affordable Policy Objectives for a Nigerian Space Programme in the
1980s and co-edited two books: Basic Science Development in Nigeria: Problems
and Prospects, and the World at the Cross-roads: Towards a Sustainable,
Equitable and Liveable World.
Samuel
served Nigeria in a number of capacities including: (i) Member of the Federal
Government delegation to the World Administrative Radio Conference in Geneva
1979;
(ii)
Member of the Federal Government delegation to the United Nations Conference on
Peaceful Uses of Space in Vienna, 1981;
(iii)
Member of the Federal Government Panel charged to produce an integrated energy
policy for Nigeria (1984);
(iv)
Chairman, Court of Governors of the Awka Campus of the Anambra University of
Science and technology(ASUTECH), (1988–1989);
(v)
Member of the Governing Council of Anambra University of Science and
Technology, Enugu (1988–1989).
At
international level, Samuel was a part-time consultant to the United Nations on
the development of Space Science end Technology in developing countries
(1979–1986). From 1990-93, he was appointed a visiting Professor/Senior
Research Fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, and Fellow Commoner at Churchill
College at the University of Cambridge. In December 1993, Samuel was seconded
from the University of Nigeria to the Federal Government as Director (overseas
liaison), initially at the National Agency for Science and Engineering
Infrastructure (NASENI) Lagos, and subsequently the Nigerian
Ministry of Science & Technology Abuja, where he also served as the pioneer Science attaché and Head of the Science
and Technology Unit at the Nigerian High Commission, London.
Personal life
Samuel
married Chinyere Ucheime Obioha in April, 1969. Chinyere was a native of Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State. She was a Deputy Librarian at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka and was later appointed Assistant Director of
Library Services at the Supreme Court of
Nigeria,
Abuja. The couple had four children: Maureen, Obinna, Ndidi and Amaechi.
Okoye
died in London on 18 November 2009.
- 1952 - Won the Eastern Nigerian Outlook Newspaper competition for primary school pupils of the old Eastern Nigeria.
- 1952 - Won full tuition and boarding entrance scholarship to the Government Secondary School, Owerri.
- 1959 - Won full tuition and boarding College scholarship of the University College, Ibadan, for excellent performance at end of first year examinations performance. This earned me the title of “College Scholar”.
- 1959 - Awarded the Eastern Nigerian Scholarship for B.Sc (physics) tenable at the University College, Ibadan.
- 1962 - Won the Departmental Prize for the best graduating student in the Department of Physics of the University of Ibadan.
- 1962 - Awarded on a worldwide competitive basis the Carnegie Foundation fellowship for doctoral studies tenable at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Publications
Books
- International Institute for Space Sciences and T. Odhiambo, & Electronics and the Giant Equatorial Radio Telescope, Tata Press Ltd., Bombay, India. G. Swarup, S. E. Okoye 100 pp. (1979).
- Viable and Affordable Policy Objectives for a Nigerian Space Programme in the 1980s and beyond, An occasional publication of the Department of Physics, University of Nigeria, 108 pp., (1981). S. E. Okoye
- Basic Science Development in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects. Evans Brothers (Nigeria) Publishers Ltd., 325 pp. (1987). S. E. Okoye & K. M. Onuoha(eds).
- The World at the crossroads : towards a sustainable, equitable and liveable world : a report to the Pugwash Council edited by Philip B. Smith, Samuel E. Okoye, Jaap de Wilde and Priya Deshingkar. London : Earthscan, 1994. ISBN 1-85383-201-4
Articles
“The
problem of technological development in developing countries” in “ The
Proceedings of the 5th international conference on ‘Science and :Society:
Scientific, Technological and Social Development., Goals and Values” Belgrade,.
pp205–216 (1974) S. E. Okoye
”Perspectives
on the Technology Creation and TransferProblem in developing Countries” in
“Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Science and Society--
Cooperation and interdependence in the Modern World”. Belgrade., pp 287–295.
(1977). S. E. Okoye
“Traditional
African Languages as a medium for Scientific Creativity and Innovation” in
“Readings on African Humanities : African Cultural Development” O.U.Kalu
(ed) Fourth Dimension Publishers pp 260–274 (1978). S.E.Okoye.
“The
Mastery of Space: A matter of Intellectual Identity” in “Alternate Space Future
and the Human Condition”— A United Nations Publication. L.Karnik., Pergamon
Press New York,pp 78–80 and 118-120. (1982). S.E.Okoye
The
detection of fine structure in the Crab Nebula at 38 Mc/s, Nature, 203 171,
(1964). A. Hewish. & S.E. Okoye
Evidence
of an unusual source of high brightness temperature in the Crab Nebula, Nature
207, 59-60. (1965) A. Hewish. & S.E. Okoye
Irregularities
oh plasma density in the solar neighborhood, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc.137
287-296. (1968) S.E. Okoye & A. Hewish.
The
occurrence of large ionospheric irregularities J. atm, terr, Phys., 30,
163-167. (1968). S.E. Okoye & A. Hewish.
The
interpretation of the X-ray emission detected from nearby Radio Galaxies, Mon,
Not, R.Astr, Soc., 160, 339-348. (1972) S.E. Okoye
Inverse
Compton X-ray generation in QSS and the distance problem. Mon, Not, R. Astr
Soc. 165 413-419. (1973). S.E. Okoye
The
stability of M87 Jet, Mon Not R. Astr Soc, 165, 393-402. (1973). S.E. Okoye
Compact
Radio Source Spectra, West Afr. J Sci, 19. No2, 159-169. (1974) S.E. Okoye.
Inverse
Compton X-ray generation in leaky Radio Galaxies. West, Afri, J. Sci. 20. No1, (1975)
S.E. Okoye.
A
model for cm-excess radio sources, Astrophys J. 209, 362-393. (1976). S.E.
Okoye
The
redshift controversy of quasars, Bull. Nig. Inst. 2, No2, 80-99 (1977). S.E.
Okoye
An
exploratory documents on the scientific objectives Radio Astronomy . document
300-E IUCAF,WARC Geneva, pp14. (1979). S.E. Okoye
Angular-diameter-red
shift relations for Extragalactic Radio Sources, Astrophys J, 260. 37-43.
(1982) S.E. Okoye & L.I.Onuora.
Proton-proton-collisions
in extragalactic radio sources, In: Extragalactic radio sources Ed.
D.S.Heeschen & C.M.Wade. D. Reidel. Publ. Co. Boston. USA. (1982) S.E.
Okoye & P.N.Okeke
Optical
inverse Compton emission in extragalactic O.Obinabo. radio sources, In
Extragalactic radio sources, Ed. D.S.Heeschen and C.M.Wade., D. Reidel. Publ
Co. Boston, USA. (1982) S.E. Okoye & O.Obinabo
The
variation of radio luminosity with epoch and its effect on the angular-diameter
relations. S.E..Okoye Astrophys J. 270. 360-364. (1983) L.I.Onuora S.E. Okoye.
The
radiation energy density in compact radio sources. West Afri J. Sci vol 25
(1980) S.E.Okoye
The
Hunger Alert. Bull. Atomic Scientists. 38. No. 1 28-29 (1982). S.E.Okoye
Cosmic
Dimensions of violence, Discourses, Nig Acad, Sci. 6, 45-55, (1984) S.E.Okoye
An
investigation of a two-station pulsar inter-Stellar scintillations radio
observation program Between Nsukka and Ooctamund, India. Proc. Nig. Acad, Sci.
1 16-23. (1986). S.E.Okoye & P.N.Okeke
A
test for models of radio source evolution. Astrophys& Spa Sci. 122
267-279. !1986). S.E.Okoye & L.I.Onuora
Estimates
of proton energies in EGRS. Astrophys. Spa Sci. 132. 65-72. (1987).
M.W.Anyakoha, P.N.Okeke & S.E.Okoye
Radio
Emission from large-scale radio jets. Astrophys J. 328 220-229. (1988).
M.W.Anyakoha, P.N.Okeke & S.E.Okoye
Space
Research: A tool for National Development and Security. Discourses Nig. Acad.
Sci. 71-82. (1988). S.E.Okoye
A
model of gamma ray emission from large-scale Jets. In Proceedings of the
American Physics Workshop of Nuclear Spectroscopy of Astrophysical sources.,
Ed. W Gehoels and G.H.Share. pp 350–355. (1988). M.W.Anyakoha, P.N.Okeke &
S.E.Okoye
Prediction
of high-energy gamma rays from Extragalactic Jets. Astro Lett & Comm.
373-380. (1990). M.W.Anyakoha, P.N.Okeke & S.E.Okoye
The
confinement and Cosmological evolution of Extragalactic Radio Source
Components. Ap.J 383. 56-59. (1991). A.A.Ubachukwu S.E.Okoye & L.I.Onuora
Origin
of the radio gap in extragalactic radio sources. Astrophys & Spa. Sci. 187.
209-214. (1992). I.E.Ekejiuba, P.N.Okeke & S.E.Okoye
The
nature of ejected protons from the nuclei of extragalactic radio sources.
Astrophys. & Spa. Sci. 167 215-218. (1992). I.E.Ekejiuba, P.N.Okeke &
S.E.Okoye
3On
the origin of magnetic fields associated with radio haloes in galaxy clusters.
Mon. Not. R. Astron Soc. 283 1047-1054. (1996). S.E.Okoye & L.I.Onuora
The
problem of the interpretation of extra-galactic radio source spectra.
(IC/73/104) International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Trieste, Italy.
Internal Report. 10pp (1073). S.E.Okoye
A
Review of the development of Water Resources of small Pacific Islands.
Commissioned Report by the Commonwealth Science Council. London. pp 24 (1989)
S.E.Okoye
Science
Information and Dissemination: Regional mobile Science and Technology
Exhibitions for developing countries of the Commonwealth. Commissioned Report
by the Commonwealth Science Council, London. 15 pp (1991). S.E.Okoye
Funding
Sources for Commonwealth Science Council Programmes and Projects. Commissioned
Report by the Commonwealth Science Council, London. 27 pp (1996) S.E.Okoye
National
Policy for Science and Technology for the year 2000 AD and beyond :
Realizing the National Potential. Report to the Federal Ministry of Science and
Technology, Abuja, 33 pp. (1996) S.E.Okoye
References
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