From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Minister of State for Health in the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the former chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Arc Gabriel Aduku, is dead.
He died at the age of 80 years on Sunday in the US of a brief illness.
According to a source close to the family, late Chief Aduku left Nigeria before his 80th Birthday, which he celebrated on February 3rd, 2024, with some members of the family over there.
A traditional title holder of Amana Ogohi Atta Igala, Chief, Arc. GY. Aduku a great leader who meant well for his people, the Igala nation, had also made indelible marks on the national and international scenes, both,professionally and politically.
He was President of the Nigeria Institute of Architect, (NIA), Architects Registration Council of Nigeria,(ARCON) as well as Chairman, Board of Trustees.
The Arewa Consultative Forum had in mid December 2023 removed Aduku as its national chairman.
Aduku was swiftly replaced by Mamman Osman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Aduku, an architect, was to serve ACF for three years but the tenure was truncated.
However, the ACF’s National Publicity, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, in response to inquiries, said the former chairman was never elected but selected, justifying the removal.
Foremost unionist, pro-democracy activist and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, Arc. Gabriel Adukwu, was born on Thursday 3rd February, 1944 in Anyigba, Dekina L.G.A of Kogi State to the family of Aduku Aguye Aga of Ameh Ohiga clan,dies while on medical trip in the United States of America, the sources said he left for the country two week ago to seeks for medical check up in the US.
As President, Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) from 1992 to 1997, he promoted a strong and virile institute that is absolutely on top of the building sector of the Nigerian Economy both from the point of knowledge of its members and professional credibility and the respect enjoyed from various governments and the general public.
As one of his landmark achievements as ARCON President, that the Councils of both ARCON and NIA vigorously commenced the monitoring of the practice of architecture in the country to stamp out possible quackery. This was backed up by individual development programs for the professionals through seminars and workshops.