The body of the late elder statesmen, Maitama Sule has arrived the shores of the country as it is received by Abba Kyari.
Maitama Sule
Body of Late elder statesman and Nigeria’s former permanent
representative to the United Nations, Alhaji (Dr) Yusuf Maitama Sule has
arrived Abuja from Cairo, Egypt, Vanguard reports.
Reports indicate that the body arrived the Nigeria at around 1:54 p.m and would be conveyed to Kano aboard a presidential jet.
According to Vanguard, the reports also said that the duo of the
Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari who led a
presidential delegation to the funeral, alongside the Senate President,
Dr. Bukola Saraki received the corpse through the Egypt Air tarmac from
the presidential wing.
Recall that the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had earlier today
named Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, as the head of
the Federal Government delegation to the funeral of Alhaji Maitama Sule.
Mr. Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity (Office of the Vice-President) had made this known
on his twitter handle on Tuesday in Abuja.
Other members of the delegation, according to Akande, include the
Minister of Interior, retired Abdulrahaman Danbazau; Minister of Mines
and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the Minister of Water
Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
The presidential aide revealed that the Accountant General of the
Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris and some government functionaries were
part of the delegation.
The delegation is to submit President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter of condolence to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
The President’s letter reads thus: “I have heard this morning,
the death of the venerable Alhaji Maitama Sule, Dan Masanin Kano, and
one of Nigeria’s famous sons. Although, I knew he was in poor health for
some time, his death nonetheless, came as a profound shock.
“As a Minister in the First Republic, he was one of those who
assisted our Founding Fathers, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
Alhaji Ahmadu Bello and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to fashion
Nigeria politically and lay the grounds of national co-existence.
“Maitama Sule was blessed by God with a wonderful voice and
outstanding eloquence. He served with distinction in the First Republic,
the Second Military regime, as well as the Second Republic, without him
being tainted with the remotest hint of scandal.
“As a person, I found him personable with unceasing good
humour. Nothing personified his faith more than the fact that on losing
his sight, he did not retreat in himself sulking on account of his
ill-fortune.
“Quite to the contrary, he honoured virtually all invitations
extended to him and spoke as usual with singular eloquence and
unparalleled wit.
“In my discussions with him, I greatly valued his counsel, and
I never ceased to be amazed by his concern for the well-being of his
country rather than his personal interests.
“Let me extend my sincere condolences to Your Excellency,
family and friends, the Government and people of Kano, and Nigerians as a
whole, for this most heavy loss. We shall not soon see the like of him.
“May God forgive his sins and admit him to Paradise, Amin.’’
The deceased statesman, aged 87, who died in the early hours of
Monday in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, will be buried in Kano today at
4:00 pm.
Kano state government declared Tuesday as work-free day in honour of the late statesman.
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