Lt. General Oladipo Diya, (retd) GCON

- Born on Monday, 3 April, 1944 in Odogbolu, Ogun State, then Western Region, Nigeria.

- He attended Yaba Methodist School, Lagos from 1950 – 1956 and thereafter proceeded to his hometown, Odogbolu, as a pioneer student of Odogbolu Grammar School, from 1957 – 1962.

- Oladipo Diya is a Nigerian army General who served as the Chief of General Staff, the de facto Vice President of Nigeria under military head of state, General Sani Abacha, from 1994 to 1997. He previously served as Chief of Defence Staff and was Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.

- He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian civil war. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in March 1967. He later attended the US Army School of Infantry, the Command and Staff College, Jaji (1980–1981) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. While serving in the military, Diya studied Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree, and then at the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to Bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

- He became General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigeria Army in 1985 and Commandant, National War College (1991–1993)

The former Chief of General Staff, who served as deputy to the late dictator, Sani Abacha, Lt. General (rtd) Donaldson Oladipo Diya, will clock 78 years on Sunday, 3 April, 2022.

“Absolutely, When we came with the Buhari government in 2015 I became the minister. We were committed to a roadmap to establish a National Carrier, to concession the airports, to set up a leasing company, to establish cargo facilities and we have been doing that.”

On why the Buhari government wanted a national carrier, the minister responded: “Nigeria is situated at the centre of Africa, equidistant from all locations in Africa. 30.4 million square kilometres miles, 1.5 billion people, very green land. If Central and Eastern Africa is the belt of the continent, then Nigeria is the buckle. 200 million people and rising middle class, propensity to fly is high. Nigeria is a candidate for National Carrier.”

Sirika who insisted that the coming national carrier will be private sector driven added; “Private. Yes. 5 per cent government and no government stepping right in that company, no government control, no membership of government on board. Totally private and committed.

“Whatever we say we will do as a government since 2015, it has happened. that is why Tim Clark of Emirates, Qatar Airways and all of them are looking to go into Nigeria in multiple frequencies and multiple landing points because Nigeria is the right place for the airline business.

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