Background
Joseph was born on March 7, 1918, in the southeast of Nigeria.
Joseph was born on March 7, 1918, in the southeast of Nigeria.
He went to the Roman Catholic School, Anua in Uyo Province and to the Sacred Heart School in Calabar. In 1939 he joined the former Marine Department as a trainee technical apprentice, becoming a junior engineer at the end of his training. From 1945 to 1949 he did active service and in 1949 attended the London County School of Technology for Marine Engineers.
In the early fifties, he had a succession of jobs as engineer on most of Nigeria’s ships and transferred to the Nigerian Navy in 1957 as a senior engineer. After another course at the School of Technology in London, he returned and became a lieutenant commander in 1960 and commander in 1962 and Fleet Engineer Officer and commander in charge of the Apapa Naval Base, near Lagos.
In 1963, as a captain, he led a deputation to India and went out with the Indian fleet on Commonwealth exercises. He returned in March 1964 to become commodore and head of the Nigerian Navy. In 1966 after General Gowon had taken power, he was appointed to the Supreme Military Council, where he is influential as the oldest member. He attended the Aburi conference between Gowon and Ojukwu in a last attempt to avoid hostilities in January 1967 and made a stirring statement on Nigeria’s desperate situation.
The Nigerian Navy effectively blockaded the Biafran ports throughout the war. On July 27, 1967, the navy captured Bonny, blocking Biafra’s route to the sea, and then Calabar on October 18, and Port Ilarcourt on May 19, 1968.
Promoted rear admiral on January 2, 1967, he became Commissioner for Establishments in October 1971, and a full admiral.
From a minority area in the southeast. Admiral Wey came up the hard way, gradually training himself as a marine engineer and winning promotion in the navy on merit. A dignified, sociable person and one of the older members of the Supreme Military Council, his advice is widely respected. Behind him is an excellent war record. The Nigerian Navy, which he commanded throughout, did all that was asked of it against Biafra, carrying out an effective blockade for the duration. Acknowledged as an excellent sportsman, his clear political thinking is less well known. He played an important part in the Aburi talks between Nigeria and Biafra.