A former interim president of Nigeria, Chief Ernest Shonekan passed away at the age of 85 years on Tuesday.
Below are ten things you probably do not know about the late elder statesman.
1). He was born on May 9, 1936 into a family of six children and had his education at the CMS Grammar School and Igbobi College, Lagos before bagging a law degree from the University of London.
2. Shonekan who also studied at Harvard Business School was a lawyer and businessman by profession before he ventured into politics.
3). Shonekan joined the United Africa Company of Nigeria in 1964 and rose through the ranks to become the MD/CEO.
4). At the age of 40, Shonekan was one of the youngest members of the board of directors of UAC having risen to the rank of deputy legal adviser.
5). Shonekan served as the interim Head of State of Nigeria from August 25, 1993 to November 17, 1993.
6). In his short stint as the interim leader, Shonekan faced a serious political crisis which ensued following the annulment of the June 12 election won by Chief M.K.O Abiola. One of the milestones recorded by Shonekan was initiating the audit of the accounts of the NNPC.
7). In November 1993, three months into his administration, Shonekan was overthrown in a palace coup masterminded by late General Sani Abacha, who was the then Chief of Army Staff.
8). In 1994, he founded the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, an advocacy group and think-tank for private sector-led development of the Nigerian economy.
9). He was given the Abese of Egbaland in 1981 in addition to various other titles he held.
10). Before his death, he was the third oldest surviving Head of States by age after Queen Elizabeth II and Gen Yakubu Gowon (Rtd).
