A man identified as Chief Gift Agadagu has shared a touching testimony of how he benefited from the integrity and leadership style of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd), without ever meeting him in person.
Chief Agadagu made the revelation during the 2025 TY Buratai Literary Initiative Award Ceremony, held at the Tukur Buratai Research Center. The event featured the celebration of the Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP) 2025 and the public presentation of the YALP 2024 Anthology.
Taking the audience by surprise, Chief Agadagu mounted the stage to recount his encounter with Buratai’s transparent leadership while the retired General served as the Chief of Army Staff. He narrated how he had sent a proposal to supply firefighting equipment to the Nigerian Army and, to his astonishment, the proposal was approved without any personal contact or prior relationship with Buratai.
“I never knew him personally, but my proposal was treated on merit and I got the contract,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
Chief Agadagu’s testimony was one of the many tributes at the event that underscored Gen. Buratai’s reputation for fairness, discipline, and support for credible initiatives across sectors, including education and youth development.
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative continues to promote literary excellence among young Nigerians through the annual Young Adult Literature Prize and related programmes.
