Tinubu, Obasanjo, Jonathan Celebrate Gbenga Daniel At 70, Unveil 4 Books

President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, joined other dignitaries to honour former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, at the public presentation of four books to mark his 70th birthday in Abuja.

The event, held at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, attracted members of the National Assembly, royal fathers, captains of industry and other prominent Nigerians.

President Tinubu, represented by the minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described Daniel as a “longtime ally and friend, whose life journey reflects hard work, resilience and dedication to national development.

“I salute Otunba Daniel for his professional exploits, governance strides and political achievements. He accomplished the feats by dint of hard work, tenacity, wisdom and courage,” Tinubu said.

The President noted that Daniel had carved a niche for himself through a distinguished career spanning engineering, business and politics, adding that his contributions have kept him in national reckoning over the years.

Highlighting his private-sector accomplishments, Tinubu pointed to the establishment of Kresta Laurel in 1990 as evidence of Daniel’s business acumen, describing the firm as a leader in Nigeria’s electromechanical engineering sector.

“The enviable heights the company has attained at present should not be surprising given Otunba’s business acumen, hunger for success and determination.

Kresta Laurel has handled major engineering projects and has become a leader in elevator installation and maintenance in Nigeria,” he said.

In his remarks, Daniel expressed gratitude to God and the dignitaries present, describing the occasion as a significant milestone marked by the unveiling of four books: “Daniel in the Lions’ Den,” “My March through the Courts,” “Path to Justice,” and “Otunba Gbenga Daniel in the Eyes of Time.”

He paid tribute to Tinubu, describing him as a pragmatic leader whose influence shaped his tenure as governor.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains one of the most pragmatic human beings that I have ever come across. Nigeria is yet to see the best of him. Mr President is a textbook in governance and creative intelligence that many of us read from,” Daniel said.

“I owe the modest success of our administration as the Governor of Ogun State to his insight and creative genius; there are quite a lot of his governance initiatives that we copied from while I was Governor.”

The senator also used the occasion to highlight key national challenges, including misinformation, corruption and weak ethical standards in public service.

“One of the critical issues that has arrested and held down Nigerian society is the lack of credible information… Political decisions are frequently taken from warped viewpoints,” he said, calling for investment in fact-based information systems.

On corruption, he stressed the need for a systemic approach, noting that illicit financial flows and capital flight continue to deprive the country of the resources it needs.

“A significant portion of corrupt proceeds passes through our banking system… government could consider offering a well-structured moratorium or amnesty on the repatriation of such illicit funds,” he said.

Daniel further called for a restoration of ethical values in leadership and urged a return to the “Omoluabi ethos” of integrity, accountability and moral uprightness.

On security, Daniel endorsed ongoing discussions on state policing and called for safeguards to prevent abuse through the establishment of State Police Councils to ensure accountability.

Among other dignitaries at the event were former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.