Chief (Dr.) Philip Agbese, member representing Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo Federal Constituency and Deputy Spokesman of the 10th House of Representatives, paid a Constituency visit to Maj. General Chris Abutu Garuba, a complete Nigerian and a Pan-Africanist who brought Peace to Angola, a crisis-ridden Nation at the time.
Chief (Dr.) Philip Agbese was accompanied by Benue State APC Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, one of the sons of the General. Also in the entourage were Comrade Emmanuel Abba Yaro, the 13yrs APC Chairman of Benue State, former Local Government Chairman of Ogbadibo, Hon (Prince) Francis Onu, Hon. Akor Ikwuoche-Esq and many others.
Retired General Chris, Abutu Garuba, was Military Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria, from August 1985 to December 1988, during the military regime of Major General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
MILITARY CAREER.
As Commander of 34 Self Propelled Artillery Brigade, Jos, Plateau State, Garuba alongside other prominent officers of the Army, like; Abdulmumuni Aminu, Haliru Akilu, Tunde Ogbeha, Joshua Madaki, lent their support to the coup of 27 August, 1985 which overthrew Muhammad Buhari and brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power. He led the team that arrested the GOC of the 3rd Armoured Division, Brigadier Salihu Ibrahim. Immediately after the coup, he was promoted to Colonel and was appointed Governor of Bauchi State.
Garuba was an energetic administrator in Bauchi as he initiated the Rural Transformation Programme to develop roads, water, electricity, agriculture and education. He upgraded the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium and built the Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall and various other sports venues in Bauchi State. He established Bauchi State Polytechnic (now known as Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic), the Inland Bank, Bauchi State Television Authority and Bauchi Printing and Publishing Company.
After returning to the army, Garuba held a series of local and foreign appointments, and rose to the rank of major General before retiring.
During the attempted coup of 22 April 1990 by Major Gideon Orkar, Brigadier Garuba was Corp Commander, Artillery. While the centre of the military command in the Dodan Barracks was being retaken, he deployed additional units within and around Lagos on standby. He was Chief Military Observer to the United Nations (Angola Verification Mission II) from July 1994 to February 1995, monitoring the cease fire between the rebel UNITA forces and the government troops. He was appointed Commandant, National War College, Abuja (colonels and brigadiers), and was a member of the Provisional Ruling Council in the Sani Abacha regime. Garuba was chief of staff during the transitional regime of General Abdusalami Abubakar, who handed over power at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic in 1999.
He was born in Ipole, Otukpa, Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, where he currently live and observing Nigeria from a distance.