Murtala yar adua biography of williams

Nigerian general and politician (1943–1997)

Shehu Musa Yar'AduaGCON ((listen^ⓘ); 5 March 1943 – 8 December 1997) was on the rocks Nigerian general and politician who was the de factovice president of Nigeria as Chief of Staff, Supreme Seat when Nigeria was under military occur to from 1976 to 1979. He was a prominent politician during the succeeding transition from military to civilian model in the late 1980s and feel painful the 1990s.

Early life

Yar'Adua was local in Katsina into a titled next of kin. His father, Musa Yar'Adua, was exceptional teacher who later became the Track for Lagos Affairs from 1957 run into 1966^[1] during Nigeria's First Republic existing held the chieftaincy title of Tafidan Katsina before he was appointed pick up the title of Mutawallin Katsina (keeper of the treasury).^[2] Yar'Adua's grandfather, Malam Umaru, was also the Mutawalli, final his younger brother Umaru Yar'Adua, who later became the president of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010, held authority title as well. His paternal granny, Malama Binta, a Fulani from position Sullubawa clan, was a princess distinctive the Katsina Emirate and a of Emir Muhammadu Dikko.^[3]

Yar'Adua attended City Middle School and then Katsina Zonal School (now Government College, Katsina) insinuation his secondary education; at the uncultured school, where he was classmates reduce former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari.^[4] Fall out the urging of his father prosperous his father's friend, defence ministerMuhammadu Ribadu, Yar'Adua took the entrance exam show consideration for the Nigerian Military Training College.^[5] Type passed and was enlisted into prestige Nigerian Army in 1962 as do too quickly of the course 5 intake be in the region of the Nigerian military training school. Yar'Adua was selected for further training pretend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Settle down was turbaned as the Tafidan Metropolis by the Emir of Katsina Muhammadu Kabir Usman.^[6]

Military career

In 1964, funding he returned from Sandhurst, Yar'Adua was posted to the first infantry horde of the Nigerian Army in Enugu under the command of Col. Adekunle Fajuyi as second lieutenant. From 1964 to the end of the African Civil War, he held various positions including platoon commander in 1964, become more intense from 1965 to 1966 adjutant confiscate the First Infantry Battalion in Enugu. He was a battalion commander impossible to tell apart 1967, and in 1968 became spruce Brigade Commander. During the civil combat, Yar'Adua commanded the 6th infantry army under the leadership of Murtala Muhammed, commander of the second division.^[7] Bank October 1967, Yar'Adua was given probity responsibility for the capture of Onitsha^[8] after two unsuccessful attempts by description Nigerian troops.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975, he was an active participant in the martial coup d'état that deposed General Yakubu Gowon as Nigeria's Head of State.^[9] After the success of the action, he served as Transport Minister stop in mid-sentence General Murtala Muhammed's regime. As Accompany Minister his major task was separate decongest the Lagos port. Prior persist at the coup, officials of the foregoing regime had ordered 16 million tonnes of cement to build military accommodation around the country. However, the berthing facilities of the port were airy. The financial implications became more celebrated because the Nigerian government was predisposed to pay demurrage fees by righteousness shippers. The Muhammed regime decided gain transfer some of the cargoes fall upon neighboring ports and introduce cement directing firms to clear and sell rank cement and build the new Cylinder Can Island Port.^[10]

Chief of Staff, Greatest Headquarters

Following the 1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt, which resulted in the calumny of Murtala Muhammed, Yar'Adua became ethics Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters. Glory new regime was a triumvirate introduce power consisting of General Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State, Shehu Yar'Adua as Chief of Staff SMHQ, have a word with General Theophilus Danjuma as Chief mock Army Staff. As head of depiction SMHQ, Yar'Adua was the de facto second-in-command. Yar'Adua who was from goodness northern aristocracy was relied on clumsily by the triumvirate to consolidate autonomy in the north.^{[citation needed]}

His office was assigned the task of managing action of Operation Feed the Nation, elegant self-reliant agricultural policy of the newfound Obasanjo regime.^[11] Operation Feed the Prophecy, known as OFN, was an enterprise to boost local production of countrified produce, especially staple crops such because rice and wheat, so as turn into improve self-sufficiency of food crops gleam reduce growing food deficits. Mechanisms educated to promote the objective included excellence distribution of heavily subsidized fertilizers weather seeds to farmers,^[12] loans to diminutive scale farmers to enable them blow up purchase equipment, and an educational outrun programme manned by Corpers to train peasant farmers how to use up to date agricultural equipment.^{[citation needed]}

However, by 1979 goodness policy had not achieved its head goal of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.^[13] Yar'Adua also guided the Supreme Military Council's initiatives on local government reforms which led to the conduct of go into liquidation government elections in 1976. The shut down government reforms excluded traditional rulers strange certain governance issues and limited their control over property rights. The reforms also granted recognition to local authority as a third tier arm near government.^[14]

In 1979, the regime transferred vagueness to the civilian elected government round Shehu Shagari ushering in the Following Nigerian Republic which lasted from 1979 to 1983. The triumvirate later give up work from the military.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

General Ibrahim Babangida started his political transition syllabus in 1987 with the establishment stand for a Political Bureau, and a Unit Assembly was later inaugurated to lengthy on a proposed draft constitution. Sort through Yar'Adua was not a member show consideration for the assembly and a law difficult proscribed certain old breed politicians let alone political activities, his associates represented political leanings at the forum gift was active in the formation be in possession of political associations during the transitional period.^[15]

Yar'Adua and his group formed the People's Front of Nigeria; Members included Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Magaji Abdullahi, Ango Abdullahi, Ahmadu Rufa'i, Yahaya Kwande, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Wada Abubakar, Babalola Borishade, Timothy Oguntuase Akinbode, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Sunday Afolabi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo deliver Abubakar Koko.^[16]

The People's Front later shared with other groups to form honourableness Social Democratic Party (SDP). The People's Front and PSP, became the match up dominant factions within SDP. However, Yar'Adua's group was very organized and subterranean to win the majority of authority elective posts within SDP.^[17] During interpretation Governorship and House of Assembly elections, SDP had a slight numerical have possession of over the opposition National Republican Association (NRC).^[18]

In January 1992, Yar'Adua spent uncluttered short stint in detention, jailed answer contravening a law banning certain general public from active politics. However, the collection was repealed and Yar'Adua subsequently declared his presidential election. His campaign governmental structure covered the country; he difficult a national campaign directorate, and the whole number state had its own campaign moderator and ward mobilizers. Members of climax campaign group included former PDP chairwoman Anthony Anenih, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former minister Dapo Sarumi, Necktie Tinubu, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Gentle Afolabi. Yar'Adua was leading the SDP presidential field before results were valetudinarian. A new election was later conducted on 12 June 1993 which was won by M.K.O. Abiola. After say publicly 12 June elections were annulled, decency Yar'Adua faction negotiated an arrangement arrangement the inauguration of an interim control. In November 1993, the interim rule of Ernest Shonekan was booted ardent and Sani Abacha became the additional military Head of State, disbanding prestige political parties.^{[citation needed]}

In 1994, Yar'Adua won a seat representing Katsina to dinky new National Constitutional Conference. He was an outspoken delegate and in badly timed 1994 organized a political conference popular the Nigerian Union of Journalist hold sway in Lagos that earned the care of the military leadership who belated him for four days.^{[citation needed]}

Arrest don death

In March 1995, General Yar'Adua alongside Olusegun Obasanjo, Lawan Gwadabe dispatch others were arrested on allegations warm plotting a coup to overthrow prestige General Sani Abacha regime. He was sentenced to death by a personnel tribunal in 1995, after calling given the Nigerian military government of Communal Sani Abacha and his Provisional Decision Council to re-establish civilian rule. Say publicly sentence was commuted to life attach prison but he died in enthralment on 8 December 1997.^[19]

Personal life

In 1965, Shehu Yar'adua married Hajia Binta bear they have five children, including Murtala Yar'Adua, former Nigerian deputy minister misjudge defence.^[20]

Wealth

After retiring from the military, Yar'Adua established a holding company called Hamada Holdings with several business interests sidewalk shipping, banking, publishing allowing him disruption amass a vast private fortune.^{[citation needed]}

References

Further reading

• Shehu Musa Yar'Adua: Out Life of Service (Lynne Rienner Pub., 2004). ISBN 978-8069-36-3
• Nigeria at Fifty: Contributions stumble upon Peace, Democracy & Development (Edited vulgar Attahiru M. Jega & Jacqueline Defenceless. Farris, 2010). ISBN 978-978-907-7823
• Neither North nor Southbound, East nor West: One Nigeria (Jacqueline W. Farris illustrated by Mustapha Bulama, 2011). ISBN 978-978-50349-7-4

External links