By Banji Ayoola
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former Chief of General Staff, CGS, and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council, who also served as a former Ogun State Military Governor, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya, retired, on his 75th birthday.
Diya, who would turn 75 on Wednesday, as CGS, was second in command in the military junta headed by the late Gen Sani Abacha from 1994 until he was arrested for a trumped up charge of treason in 1997.
The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, highlighted his many years of meritorious service to the nation.
Describing him as gallant and full of wisdom, he said that Diya’s effort in the military was felt in the area of tackling security challenges in the country and part of the west coast.
The statement said: “President Buhari felicitates with family members, friends, professional colleagues and associates of the former Number Two man, whose military career saw him successfully handling sensitive and strategic leadership positions as General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Commandant, National War College (1991–1993) and Chief of Defence Staff.
“The President affirms that Gen. Diya’s gallantry, rich intellectual background and penchant for research contributed to the structure and operations of the Nigerian Army, especially in tackling security challenges within the country, and the West Coast region.
Donaldson Oladipo Diya, a retired Lt. General in the Nigerian Army, was born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu in Ijebu Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State. He served as Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.
After many postings, he was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.
In 1997, Diya was arrested for allegedly planning to overthrow the Abacha regime. He was secretly tried by a military tribunal, and sentenced to death by firing squad, together with five other persons in April 1988.
The South African government questioned the secrecy surrounding the trial and warned of the probability that there could be an unfavorable reaction, both in Nigeria and internationally, to a carrying out of the sentences.
Eventually, Abacha died. The sentence was later commuted by Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha.[
