Mu\u2019azu Jaji Sambo, CON, the immediate past Minister of Transportation, represented Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, at the book launch of the former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), \u2018A Journey in Service\u2019 in Abuja on Thursday, February 20, 2025. The event drew an elite gathering of past and present leaders who reflected on IBB\u2019s legacy and the state of democracy in West Africa.<\/p>\n
The event, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, attracted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, top members of his cabinet, former presidents of Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, former Nigeria Vice Presidents, State Governors, past and present, Ministers and heads of Parastatals, both former and present, military leaders, Captains of Industry, and statesmen from Nigeria and beyond.<\/p>\n
Muhammadu Buhari, who was unavoidably absent due to an earlier scheduled commitment, sent his warm wishes and prayed for a successful launching of the memoir, as it marks a watershed in the life of the former military president. He prayed for good health, long life, and satisfaction in all endeavours.<\/p>\n
Sambo delivered a congratulatory message, expressing hope that General Babangida would continue offering valuable counsel to Nigeria\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
In his keynote address, former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo emphasised the importance of multi-party democracy in Africa\u2019s development. He warned against the growing wave of military takeovers, calling them a setback to democratic progress. \u201cMultiple parties are good for our continent,\u201d Akufo-Addo said, urging leaders to protect democratic institutions.<\/p>\n
Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), lauded Babangida\u2019s rise from aide-de-camp (ADC) to head of state, describing him as a \u201cboss of bosses.\u201d
\nGowon also expressed gratitude for Babangida\u2019s decision to restore his rank of General after it was stripped following the 1976 coup. \u201cThank you for restoring my rank,\u201d Gowon said, reflecting on how Babangida\u2019s leadership impacted his life.<\/p>\n
General Abdulsalami Abubakar, another former military president, shared anecdotes about his over 80-year-long relationship with Babangida.
\nHe recalled a childhood prophecy foretold Babangida\u2019s rise to power and commended him for documenting his life\u2019s journey.
\n\u201cYour memoir will enrich the country,\u201d Abdulsalami remarked.<\/p>\n
The book launch, set against the backdrop of a presidential library fundraising event, marks a significant moment in Nigeria\u2019s political history.<\/p>\n
Babangida, known for his role in the country\u2019s military and political landscape, shares his journey through his memoir, offering insights into his years of service and the complexities of Nigeria\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
The IBB Presidential Library Foundation, which oversees the event, expressed that the memoir\u2019s launch is not just about commemorating Babangida\u2019s legacy but also a call for support to preserve and promote Nigeria\u2019s political history through the foundation\u2019s library.<\/p>\n
As the event unfolded, a unique blend of nostalgia, reflection, and forward-looking dialogue filled the air, drawing attention to the enduring influence of the country\u2019s past leaders in shaping the present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, CON, the immediate past Minister of Transportation, represented Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, at the book launch of the former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), ‘A Journey in Service’ in Abuja on Thursday, February 20, 2025. The event drew an elite gathering of past and present leaders who reflected on IBB’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[1592,1818,1815,1817,1816],"class_list":["post-4538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feature","tag-con","tag-general-ibrahim-badamasi-babangida-ibb","tag-muazu-jaji-sambo","tag-nigerian-military-president","tag-the-immediate-past-minister-of-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4538"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4540,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4538\/revisions\/4540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shippingworld-ng.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}