On Tuesday, Ernest Shonekan, former head of the Interim National Government, died in Lagos at the age of 85.

Shonekan was head of the interim government after Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, former head of state, stepped down from office.

However, only three months after taking office, Sani Abacha, the late military ruler, deposed him in a coup.

Delivering his resignation address on November 17, 1993, Shonekan said the national government under his watch “tried very hard to bring honour to government” and took steps to tackle corruption and indiscipline.

Below is Shonekan’s resignation speech after he was ousted from office.

Fellow colleagues of the Interim National Government, I have summoned you this evening on an unusual occasion. Earlier today, I met with the secretary of defence in company of the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, and we discussed the state of the nation.

They expressed serious concern about the general uneasiness in the country and the apparent lack of stability over the past three months. They spoke about the restiveness of the rank and file in the military. You will recall that today is our eighty-second day in office, having been sworn in on August 26, 1993. Needless to say that we have all worked together to the best of our ability, and as a coherent team. I want to put it on record that I have enjoyed the period we worked together in the Interim National Government. It is common knowledge that the ING is a child of circumstance. It was conceived in crisis and born in crisis.

If I may recount some of the achievements of the Interim National Government to which you have all been witnesses, we may not have recorded landmarks, but we have taken the first step. In the social sector, we have brought back normalcy in the institutions of higher learning. On human rights, our records are impeccable and perhaps, unbeatable in the annals of our country. We freed all jailed human rights activists, we pardoned all political offenders both dead and alive, allowed all politicians in exile to return home, and we have not restricted the free movement of any activist in and out of the country. We also took the appropriate steps de-proscribe the newspapers proscribed by sending the Bills to the National Assembly to be repealed.

On the political arena, we have continued to work ceaselessly towards full democratization of our dear country. We have extended our right hand of fellowship to the legislature and have put in place the machinery for local and presidential elections next February.

On the economic scene, we were able to put in place an Economic Action Agenda for the nation in conjunction with the private sector operators. Let me assure you that our seemingly tough policies have received commendation from far and beyond. Ordinarily, I would have wished that the Interim National Government would be saddled only with economic problems. This derives from my belief that our country faces more economic challenges than anything else. Although we have not been able to implement some of our policies, nonetheless we have started out in the right direction by curbing frivolous expenditure and working closely with the private sector of the economy. I can only hope that the successor administration will take off from where we are leaving and continue courageously with the budgetary and other reforms we have adopted as well as our campaign for debt relief.

Distinguished colleagues, most importantly the Interim National Government has tried very hard to bring honour to government and has taken steps to campaign against the incidence of corruption and indiscipline in the society. Several times, I have publicly acknowledged the collective transparency and integrity of this cabinet. Let me say loud and clear that here that we have all made sacrifices for these past 82 days in the strong belief that our country deserves the best. I have an unshaken faith in the promise of Nigeria and I believe that the best is yet to come.

However, I regret to inform you that in the light of recent events and after due consideration of all the facts, I am left with no alternative but to take the most honourable and dignified step of resigning, with immediate effect, my appointment as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Once more, I thank you very much and hope that the fellowship we have shared in this past period will continue to be the basis of good memory for long.

May God bless and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

https://www.thecable.ng/flashback-we-brought-honour-to-government-shonekans-resignation-speech-after-abacha-deposed-him/amp

This is Tinubu age mate here and Tinubu wants to contest for 2023 Presidency. Na to leave this hellhole sure pass. Adieu Shonekan.

Cowardly talk

I just love the Yoruba interpretation for Interim National Government - Ijoba f'idi he.

Means when one sits at the edge of the chair with your bum just making enough contact. Or would I say, the bum just sitting on an unstable chair.

Who's going to read all this

Make una dey go one by one. On to the next one

I was a kid when this event took place and I thought the problem of Nigeria was Abacha till he died, then I thought it was OBJ till he left office, then I thought it was Goodluck till he left too, But after Buhari took over then I knew the problem of Nigeria was the Almagamation of 1914...

AGNESikpuNNU:
Cowardly talk

He is just not foolish to waste his life for a fight he can’t win.

He doesn’t have the power to stop Abacha and his men at that time so he will be foolish to put a fight.

That guy above me

God rest your soul Sir

Why can't he refused to resigned?

God rest his soul

One Igbo man want to use style advertise his business up there, with someone else's death.

What's our business about where he died Or because he died there, it is the the best place to die, so we should all try to die there too.

RIP sir. We all will leave this earth to join you one-day. His whole life is now like a blink of an eye, it started, and ended, and forgotten, so sad

Aje,,,



May his soul rest in peace.

senatepresido:
He died in our hospital, Evercare Lekki

Aje...

So make we fry stone abi

Hallabee1:


Aje...

So make we fry stone abi

Yes, fry and eat it

Etinosa1234:
Who's going to read all this

Aje....


me tire oooo

senatepresido:
He died in our hospital, Evercare Lekki

You are one of The Doctor there?

Abacha na bad nigga, he tested rocket launcher near shonekan and gave him papers to read before camera.

Next

senatepresido:


Yes, fry and eat it

Aje.



Sense far from you Ode

Rip

It is understandable my dear.
That's why you lived above 80.
Thank God

The fear of Abacha .......,

Shonekan presided over Nigeria however the short term, after Olusegun Obasanjo presided as military HoS.

Obasanjo again presided over as civilian president.


Yet in 2022, Tinubu and his SW APC shamelessly clamour to present a successor to President Buhari, whereas their Igbo fellow southerners have not presided over Nigeria for once, except Ironsi's 6 months. Tinubu wants to be rewarded with presidency 2023 for inviting Muhammadu Buhari in 2014 to come from retirement to beat GEJ.
Tufiakwa, Greed. Plot to continue to rape others in Nigeria.

NADECO 11 LOADING.

Afonja Coward

DamnNigga
Isoright!!

Confirm matters

Brendaniel:
I was a kid when this event took place and I thought the problem of Nigeria was Abacha till he died, then I thought it was OBJ till he left office, then I thought it was Goodluck till he left too, But after Buhari took over then I knew the problem of Nigeria was the Almagamation of 1914...

RIP to u sir, you are courageous... The fool that over thrown you is long gone and GOD still spare ur life till 85yr Adieu baba.. I beg how is IBB enjoying his old age? U can't be enemy of Nigeria and have a fufiled life.. Check the history