The Senate, on Tuesday, mourned the recent deaths of Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Attahiru Ibrahim, and former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak.
The upper chamber held a minute silence to honour them after two separate point of orders were raised by Senators Ovie Omo-Agege and Ali Ndume.
The former Army Chief, Attahiru Ibrahim, died in a plane crash close to the Kaduna International Airport about two weeks ago.
Gulak, on the other hand, was killed in Imo State on his way to the Sam Mbakwe airport on Sunday, 30th May, 2021, by yet to be identified gunmen.
Omo-Agege, while coming under order 43 of the Senate Rules, described Gulak’s assassination as “gruesome” and “barbaric”.
According to him, Gulak was murdered “while on assignment on behalf of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review where he had served as one of the consultants posted to the Owerri Centre in the South East.”
The Deputy Senate President recalled that, “Mr. President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak had been the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
“He had served as adviser to the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He is a political adviser, and more important than that, Mr. President, he was a lawyer.”
Omo-Agege added, “A very brilliant lawyer at that and, frankly, it was in that capacity given his relationship with me as Chairman of the Constitutional Review that I recommended and approved his engagement as one of the few brilliant eggheads that we hired to assist this committee in carrying out this assignment.
“Mr. President, beyond that he was also of the APC in Adamawa north of Adamawa State.
“Mr. President, he was a detribalised, a peace loving Nigerian, a very honest man, a man who believed in one Nigeria.
“We, members of the Committee are shattered by his demise. We believe that this is one death too many, and for sure it is most unfair for this brilliant light to have been shut down in his prime.”
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The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks, paid tribute to the deceased describing him as a dedicated citizen.
He called on security agencies in the country to unravel the perpetrators and masterminds of Gulak’s assassination.
“The Honourable Gulak was a very straightforward, committed and dedicated citizen of this country.
“A very distinguished politician who made tremendous contribution at both the state level in Adamawa State and the national level.
“The murder of this great son of Nigeria is something that our security agencies must unravel the murderers and, in fact, the people behind the murder itself.
“This is necessary in all the murders and assassinations that take place in our country on almost on daily basis.
“Our security agencies, particularly our intelligence agencies must continue to fish out such issues before they happen.
“This is the essence of the intelligence that is supposed to be given to those whose re in the system to nip in the bud where necessary or when such incidents happen, that we are able to apprehend the people involved.”
In a separate point of order, Senator Ali Ndume said, “the Senate expresses shock over the death of the nation’s 21st Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru and ten others in a plane crash in Kaduna on the 21st of May 2021.
“The Senate consoles with the Commander in Chief, families of the deceased, the Armed Forces and the Nigerian people over the unfortunate incident. And that their death will not be in vain as they died in the line of duty and in service to the fatherland.
“The Senate further notes the patriotic and exemplary leadership of the late Chief of Army Staff as reflected in the brief period he held sway as the nation’s Army Chief.”
Accordingly, Ndume urged the Federal Government to immortalize the former Chief of Army by naming a military structure in his honour.
He also urged the Senate to visit and condole the families of the deceased.