Alhaji Ghalli Na’abba, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 65. Although he reportedly died at a hospital in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the details could not be independently verified at the time of this report. Here are 10 key aspects to know about the late Speaker,Daily Trust reports.
- Birth:
- Ghali Umar Na’Abba was born into the family of a businessman, Alhaji Umar Na’Abba, in Tundun Wda, Kano State, on September 27, 1958.
- His father, an Islamic scholar, instilled values such as hard work, entrepreneurship, forthrightness, audacity, sincerity, dynamism, liberal disposition, prudence, modesty, and strong religious inclination.
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- Education:
- Na’Abba attended Jakara Primary School in Kano, obtaining his First School Leaving Certificate in 1969.
- He later attended Rumfa College, Kano, for his West African School Certificate and the School of Preliminary Studies, Kano, before gaining admission to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1976.
- He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from ABU in 1979 and completed a postgraduate program on Leadership and Good Governance at Harvard University in 2004.
- Business Life:
- After university and a year of National Youth Service, Na’Abba joined his father’s companies in 1980, engaging in importation, manufacturing, and publishing.
- Politics:
- As a Political Science student at ABU, he became an executive committee member of the ABU chapter of the People’s Redemption Party.
- Na’Abba joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998, emerging as the party’s candidate in the April 1999 National Assembly election for Kano Municipal Federal Constituency.
- Despite political challenges, he became the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Fourth Republic.
- In 2003, he sought re-election but faced political maneuvering preventing him from retaining the Speaker position.
- Conferences and Seminars:
- Na’Abba actively participated in and contributed to numerous international seminars and conferences on politics, parliament, development, and good governance.
- Honours:
- He received various awards from government, civil society groups, labor unions, student unions, private business organizations, political associations, and foreign government agencies.
- Honors include the National Honors Award of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2010 and the Man of Integrity Award by the Students Union of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Despite the passage of time, Alhaji Ghalli Na’abba’s legacy remains embedded in his contributions to Nigerian politics, education, and business.
