Reese Okparro Ndulu
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Reese Okparro Ndulu | |
|---|---|
 President Ndulu at the Presidential Palace in 1975 | |
| President of Tiwura | |
| In office November 12, 1968 – December 28, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Obie Chinwe |
| Succeeded by | Alichie Uchey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 10, 1927 Fairmaidenton, Royal Coast |
| Died | July 15, 1990 (aged 63) Ponulo, Tiwura |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Nationality | Tiwuran |
| Spouse | Sophie Ukwo (m. 1950) |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Template:Country data Estmere Tiwura |
| Branch/service | Template:Country data Estmere Royal Coast Rifles Tiwuran Army |
| Years of service | 1948–1950 (Estmere) 1950–1979 (Tiwura) |
| Rank | Lieutenant (Estmere) Colonel (Tiwura) General (Tiwura) |
| Battles/wars | Horo Rebellion Bulamu War First Tiwuran Civil War |
Reese Okparro Ndulu (10 May 1927-15 July 1990) was a Tiwuran general and politician who served as President of Tiwura from 1968 to 1979. Ndulu would come into power during the First Tiwuran Civil War during which he successfully defeated rival military leaders and rebel factions by 1971. Ndulu would be Tiwura's second military dictator, succeeding his predecessor Obie Chinwe, whom he collaborated to assassinate before the civil war.
Reese Okparro Ndulu was born in 1927 to the relatively wealthy Mwo family of the Ndulus, descended from prominent Obo merchants and warriors. Ndulu would enlist in the Royal Coast Rifles in 1948. Ndulu would first see combat in 1953 during the Horo Rebellion, and immediately following would be transferred to the command of General Chinwe. He would join Chinwe in the 1954 Tiwuran Coup d'etat against Derrick Clearmont, and was tasked with securing the Omamiri International Airport. After this he became a central member of the Military Council, until it was dissolved in 1961. In 1964, with rising tensions with Yemet, he was given command of Army West, and was sent to the Magadi. Upon the beginning of the Bulamu War, Ndulu would lead the Western Army into Yemet with the goal of reaching Lake Hayik. In 1966, Army West retreated into the Magadi. Upon Chinwe's surrender, Ndulu convened with several other military leaders to oust Chinwe, resulting in his assassination. After failure to reach a compromise regarding the next President, the leaders of the TAF would divide and the First Tiwuran Civil War began. Ndulu's Army West and whatever loyal commanders he had would take control of the southeast, and over the next 3 years took control of the entire south of Tiwura, reuniting the TAF under his rule and declaring himself president. In 1971 the war was officially over with rebels defeated.
As president, Ndulu would instate several changes to Tiwuran government policy. The first was an attempt to reconcile with former rebels, but this would end in failure due to the Military Council threats to oust Ndulu if he convicted too many TAF generals. This led to rising ethnic tensions after accusations of unwilling Gundaya being led into battle unarmed by the military. Ndulu would also try and stomp out what remained of the socialist and pan-Bahianist rebels, arresting several leaders, causing more demonstrations. He would also instate several economic and infrastructure policies focused on rebuilding a wartorn Tiwura. This included developing urban areas and the construction of the Ndulu Dam. Ndulu would also try to gain foreign investment in the country's resources, reopening oil resources to international companies. Ndulu would be diagnosed with tuberculosis, and in 1979 he would resign from leadership, appointing Alichie Uchey his successor.
Ndulu today is remembered very controversially, with Nduluism being a prominent ideology within modern Tiwuran politics. Ndulu is seen as tyrannical to many Gundaya and socialist Tiwurans due to arrests of socialists and Gundaya nationalists and violent responses to protests. However, he is still seen by many as a good leader, mainly for unification after the First Civil War and the rebuilding of infrastructure.