President Bola Tinubu has approved the revitalisation and renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
Mr Tinubu, in a televised broadcast on Friday to mark this year’s Democracy Day, said the honour was in recognition of Mr Yar’Adua’s vision for national partnership.
“Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honour General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership. In recognition of his contributions, the Federal Government has approved the revitalisation and renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology,” Mr Tinubu said.
He said every generation has a defining responsibility.
“The generation of our founding fathers secured independence—the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity.
“Let us move forward together—rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence. Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant,” he added.
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The College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK), is a premier tertiary institution established by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to enhance indigenous human capacity for the oil and gas industry.
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the elder brother of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was a key political figure and pro-democracy advocate.
He served as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters (acting as the de facto Vice President) from 1976 to 1979 under General Olusegun Obasanjo, the then head of state.
He played a central role in forming the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), which influenced Nigeria’s return to civilian rule. He died in prison in 1997 under the Sani Abacha regime and is widely regarded as a martyr of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
