Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly and Chairman Northern Speakers Forum, Rt. Honourable Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani has described the death of a former Chief of Army Staff, General Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi, as devastating.
He expressed this in a statement signed by his SA Media and Publicity, Honourable Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani, dated Sunday December 5, 2021.
“We have lost a rare gem who committed his life time to the unity of our dear country NIgeria. His demise is devastating,” he said.
Zailani extended condolences to the Government and people of Nigeria, as well as his immediate family.
He said that his wealth of experience will be missed, praying for Almighty Allah to grant him Aljannah Firdaus.
He was said to have died at a London hospital.
General Wushishi was born in 1940 in Wushishi, Headquarters of Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Wushishi joined the Nigerian Army on April 21, 1961, and attended the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna and then the Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot in the United Kingdom.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 12 January 1962 He later attended the United States War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
He served as a member of the United Nations Peace Keeping force in Congo in the early 1960s.
He was appointed Deputy Commandant, Army School of Infantry in July 1975. He served as Federal Commissioner for Industries (January 1975 – March 1976) and was a member of the Supreme Military Council from 1976 to 1978.
He was Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from October 1981 to October 1983 during the Shehu Shagari administration.
He retired on 3 January 1984, after the 31 December 1983 coup in which General Muhammadu Buhari came to power. After retirement, he entered business.
He became chairman of the board of directors of UAC of Nigeria, retiring on 1 January 2010 at age 70.
He was also Chairman of the board of UPDC (property development), a director of Stanbic IBTC Bank and MTS first Wireless, and a member of the board of Acorn Petroleum.
He received the national Honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger