Angelo Onegi Obel (4 April 1932 – 16 December 2008), was a Ugandan

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

and politician and former adviser to the

President of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The President (government title), president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander- ...

. He also served as the Governor of the Bank of Uganda from 1973 to 1978.

Background and education

Obel was born on 4 April 1932, in the village of ''Pacego Pumvuga'', Panyango sub-county, ''Jonam County'' in today's

Nebbi District Nebbi District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Northern Region, Uganda, Northern Uganda. It is named after its main municipal, commercial and administrative centre, Nebbi, the location of the district headquarters. Location Nebbi District i ...

West Nile sub-region West Nile sub-region, previously known as West Nile Province and West Nile District, is a sub-region in north-western Uganda, in the Northern Region, Uganda, Northern Region of Uganda. Location The sub-region is bordered by the Democratic Republ ...

. At that time, the West Nile sub-region was known as ''West Nile District''. In the early 1940s he attended ''Ngetta Catholic Primary School in

Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current Turkish lira, currency of Turkey and also the local name of the Lebanese pound, currencies of Lebanon and of Syrian pound, Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, ...

, before attending junior secondary school at ''St. Aloysius College'' in Nyapea, Nebbi District, graduating from there in 1948. In 1949, he was admitted to

Namilyango College Namilyango College is a boys-only boarding secondary school located in Mukono District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda, whose history and excellence in sports and academics have made it one of the most prestigious schools i ...

, a prestigious all-boys boarding secondary school, graduating from there in 1953, with the ''Ordinary Cambridge School Certificate'' (O-Level). Later he enrolled in an overseas correspondence school and obtained the ''Advanced Cambridge School Certificate'' (A-Level). Still later, he enrolled in Assumption University, in Canada, graduating with the degree of

Bachelor of Arts in Economics A Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon)Bureau of Labor StatisticsHow to Become an Economist/ref> is an academic degree, awarded to students who have completed specialised undergraduate studies in economics. Variants include the "Bachelor of Econom ...

. He transferred to the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

, where he obtained the degree of Master of Arts in Economics. He returned to Uganda in 1965.

Career

After graduating from

, Obel became employed by the

Uganda Government The politics of Uganda occurs in an authoritarian context. Since assuming office in 1986 at the end of the Ugandan civil war, Yoweri Museveni has ruled Uganda as an autocrat. Political parties were banned from 1986 to 2006 in the wake of the 2 ...

, as a clerical officer in accountancy in

and

Arua Arua is a city and commercial centre within the Arua District in the Northern Region, Uganda, Northern Region of Uganda. Location Arua is approximately north-west of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda, Arua is about , by road, west ...

. When he returned from further studies in Canada, he took up employment in the Ministry of Finance, serving as Commissioner for Taxation. In 1968, he was transferred to

Bank of Uganda The Bank of Uganda () is the central bank of Uganda. Established in 1966, by Act of Parliament, the bank is wholly owned by the government but is not a government department. History In 1979 and again in 1987, the Bank of Uganda managed to ma ...

as the deputy governor, from 1968 until 1973. In 1973, he was appointed Governor of the Bank of Uganda, serving in that capacity in 1978. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 constitution of Uganda. His efforts towards developing the economy and instructure of Uganda and corporate interests often led to conflict and in 2006, for instance, he was involved in a legal battle over the construction of a bridge which jeopardized the livelihoods of local farmers.

Other considerations

Onegi Obel died on 16 December 2008 from natural cases. He was survived by his wife, Agnes Atoh, many children and many grandchildren. One of his sons is Geoffrey Onegi Obel, who once served as the

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of National Social Security Fund.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obel, Onegi Ugandan politicians Ugandan economists 1932 births 2008 deaths University of Toronto alumni People from West Nile sub-region People from Nebbi District Governors of the Bank of Uganda People educated at Namilyango College Ugandan Roman Catholics