Leonard Anyogu, Secretary of the Ogoja State Creation Committee, told journalists Ukpo died early Monday morning in a hospital as a result of lingering ailment.
He was 74 years old.
It was learnt that Ukpo lost two of his siblings last week — Madam Lydia Ukpo, who died in the US and Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo, who died in Nigeria.
Anyogu said, “I can confirm that the former Milad died this morning. He died in a hospital this morning. It is very sad. Cross River State has lost an asset.”
During his active service life, he attended Military courses in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Israel and Lebanon. He served in various command and staff positions both in the Nigerian Armed Forces and the United Nations Forces Operations in Lebanon.
Ukpo was appointed Minister of Information of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in August 1985. In 1986, he was appointed the Military Governor of Rivers State (Present-day Rivers and Bayelsa State). In 1989, he was appointed Principal Staff Officer (Civilian equivalent of Chief of Staff) to President Babangida.
He retired from the Nigerian Army in 1993.
He was later appointed member of the Programme Implementation and Monitoring Committee (PIMCO) of the General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s Government in 1998.
He was an industrialist with varied interest in manufacturing, property development, oil and gas, hotel development, farming and most recently medical diagnosis.