Background
He was born on March 10, 1918, at Abbonnema in Rivers State.
He was born on March 10, 1918, at Abbonnema in Rivers State.
Educated at King’s College, Lagos, the University of Sheffield and Regent Polytechnic, London, where he got a Diploma in Journalism.
He started life as a customs officer, but was interested in politics and joined the radical Nigerian Youth Movement in 1944. By 1945 he resigned from the customs and became a proof reader, and later sub-editor, of the “Daily Service” newspaper, then edited by Chief S. L. Akintola. Journalism engrossed him and in 1947 he started his own weekly, the “Nigerian Statesman”, which appeared until 1951, and was also the General Secretary of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Youth Movement. After a Press delegation tour, sponsored by the Colonial Office, he decided to go to Britain and study law and journalism. He obtained an LLB and was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1958.
In Britain, he was General Secretary of the United Nigeria Committee, a left-wing group, which demanded the creation of more Nigerian states. He returned home and started to practise in Port Harcourt and was soon General Secretary of the COR (Calabar, Ogoja, Kivers) State Movement, calling for a new state to be created in the Eastern Kegion. In 1959 he was elected to Parliament as member for Degema Division campaigning in alliance with Chief Awolowo’s Action Group Party. He won a second election campaign in 1964 for the United Progressive Grand Alliance (formed by the Action Group and the NCNC).
When the military coup came in January 1966, he was chosen by local leaders to go to Lagos to campaign for the creation of a Rivers State. But his region was controlled by the Biafran government which was opposed to his ideas. On his second attempt to get to Lagos in October 1966, he was arrested at Port Harcourt airport and detained by the Biafrans. Later he was released and he made his escape to Lagos where he continued his campaign. His was one of the many voices that influenced General Gowon in creating 12 new states for Nigeria on May 27, 1967. He was appointed Federal Commissioner for Education in June. Briggs remained in Lagos as a member of the Federal Executive Council representing the new Rivers State. Then on October 20, 1971, he was appointed Federal Commissioner of Trade.