The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, has congratulated a former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, as he clocks 89 today.
A statement issued by Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Special Adviser to the speaker on Media and Publicity said that Speaker Abbas hailed General Gowon for his immeasurable contributions to the peace and unity of Nigeria during and after his military career, saying the former Head of State remains one of the nationalists that Nigerians look up to till today.
The Speaker recalled with nostalgia, how General Gowon after leaving power, earned a doctorate at the University of Warwick and became a Professor of Political Science at the University of Jos in the 80s.
He also recalled how the retired General, in 1992, established the Yakubu Gowon Centre for National Unity and International Cooperation, a non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation that championed good governance and health-related causes.
Speaker Abbas said General Gowon’s life, from reaching the peak of his military career to becoming an elder statesman, is an inspiration to many.
The Speaker prayed to God to grant him more healthy years and to make Nigerians enjoy more of his fatherly counsel on national issues.