By Abiola Olawale
Three eminent and distinguished Nigerians; late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed; former civilian president as well as erstwhile military Head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; and Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, a former Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria, and former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations who also served as Chief of Staff to late former President Muhammadu Buhari, have been honoured by the President of Angola João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.
The New Diplomat reports that the three eminent Nigerians were honoured on Thursday for their enormous contributions to both the independence and development of Angola.
Murtala, who was honoured post-humously, was represented by his Children, who received the award on behalf of their late father.
Late Murtala’s award was received by two of his children- Aisha and Risqua
The New Diplomat also gathered that Obasanjo was unable to attend the event due to flight challenges.
However, his award was received on his behalf by Gambari, who was also decorated by the President of Angola for his contributions in Angola on Thursday.
The three eminent personalities were honoured for their contributions as Angola celebrates its 50th Independence anniversary.
While decorating Gambari with the award, the Angolan President said to him: “Your contributions to the finalisation of peace in Angola are immense.”
In response, Gambari said: “The huge honour is also to my country, Nigeria ( three of whose citizens received the honour today) and to the UN”
The New Diplomat reports that General Murtala Muhammed’s leadership and Nigeria’s support played a crucial role in Angola’s independence.
Murtala was Nigeria’s Head of State when Angola gained independence. Obasanjo was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, during Murtala’s regime.
The Murtala/Obasanjo regime was the first to officially recognize the Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) as the legitimate government of Angola.
Under their leadership, Nigeria launched a diplomatic initiative to lobby other African nations to also recognize the MPLA, which was crucial for the newly independent nation’s international legitimacy within the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Nigeria provided political, material, and financial support to the MPLA.
Similarly, Gambari is celebrated for his efforts in Angola which focused on mediating the peace process following the Lusaka Protocol and supporting post-conflict recovery.
As a UN envoy, Gambari monitored the implementation of the peace agreement and facilitated humanitarian aid for displaced persons. He also worked on consolidating peace through human rights promotion and the building of democratic institutions.
