Judul : Keyamo, Umahi, Adesina pay tributes to Buhari
link : Keyamo, Umahi, Adesina pay tributes to Buhari
Keyamo, Umahi, Adesina pay tributes to Buhari
More encomiums continue to pour in for the late President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of Works, David Umahi and a former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Buhari, Femi Adesina, paid glowing tributes to him.
Keyamo, in his tribute at the expanded Special Federal Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, described the late former President as an exceptional statesman whose legacy of discipline, transparency, and moral uprightness left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s governance history.
The minister said Buhari’s death had evoked diverse emotions from Nigerians and the international community alike.
He also noted that the outpouring of reactions, both from critics and admirers, underscored the influence he wielded across decades of public service.
“He was a President who led by example, who walked the talk, who inspired integrity, uncompromising transparency and accountability in public office. He was a moral and ethical compass in governance. He served this country with a good conscience, the fear of God and extraordinary discipline.
“In my immediate reaction after his death, I wrote that ‘they don’t make them like him anymore’, not given to the primitive acquisition of unearned wealth, frugal in living, austere in lifestyle, not inclined to showboating and incredibly honest to the core,” he said.
Keyamo, who served as Buhari’s campaign spokesperson in the 2019 elections and later as Minister of State in two ministries, recalled the late President’s strict adherence to hierarchical order and governance ethics.
According to him, Buhari’s journey from a stern military ruler to a democratically elected President who peacefully handed over power in 2023 marked a rare reinvention in Nigerian political history.
He said, “Only very few people in history have the grace and opportunity to reinvent themselves at the highest level and to recraft their own legacies.
“From the image of a no-nonsense and stern military dictator of the 1980’s who truncated democracy and rode roughshod over the Rule of Law, to the image of a frustrated serial election loser, and then to the hero and symbol of Change and Hope that the nation chose to defeat a behemoth ruling party and sitting President in 2015 for the first time in our history and finally to the legacy of a sitting President who presided over a peaceful, free and fair democratic process that produced his successor in office and peacefully handed over power – this is the stuff of which thrilling, fictional movies are made.”
On his part, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, described the late President as a man of discipline, integrity, and uncommon dedication to national service.
Umahi recalled the late Buhari’s unwavering support for him during his tenure as governor of Ebonyi State, while he also described him as a man of discipline, integrity, and selfless leadership.
Sharing personal anecdotes, Umahi recalled Buhari’s fondness for Abakaliki rice.
“I personally believed that such a man with so much discipline, integrity, honesty, and selfless service to humanity would live up to 100 years.
“The last time I spoke with him was during the Sallah before this last one. While he was in office, I was always, as a governor, giving him Abakaliki rice, and he loved it so much.
“So, I continued to do that. And so when I sent that Abakaliki rice to him, he called me, and he was very happy, and he said I’m not missing Abakaliki rice even when I am out of the office.”
He also said Buhari’s intervention ensured the emergence of the current Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru, despite internal political opposition.
The minister said, “He supported us. I can’t forget, even when the enemies of progress wanted to thwart the emergence of my present governor, he stepped in and called the national chairman of our party, and gave him an order that it has to be the present governor.”
He equally praised the late President’s selflessness, recalling how Buhari renamed the Ebonyi airport, originally named after him, to honour the late Senator Chuba Okadigbo.
Describing his passing as a great national loss, Umahi extended his condolences to President Bola Tinubu, Buhari’s family, associates, and all Nigerians.
Penning an emotional tribute, Adesina described the late Buhari as a man of rare discipline, quiet humour, simplicity, and unwavering integrity who confronted both leadership and mortality without fear.
In the tribute, Adesina expressed disbelief over Buhari’s passing at the age of 82, stating that despite his age, the former president’s strength and resilience made it difficult to accept his death.
Recalling his final moments with the late leader, Adesina revealed he spent two days with Buhari at his Kaduna residence in March, just weeks before his medical trip to London from which he never returned alive.
“I didn’t expect President Buhari to leave, at least not in the next 10 years. For two days in March, I was with him in his Kaduna home, which had just been renovated, and which he moved into about three weeks earlier from his Daura, Katsina State, homestead.
“I met him with almost all the newspapers in the land spread on the table before him.
“He was reading one. That was his winsome smile, and I asked how he was doing. He said very well, since he was free from the troubles of Nigeria. We laughed.
“Typical of him, he asked after the welfare of my family, and how I was doing. We then discussed many things about our country, particularly the vast, ungoverned borders between Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the North. The length is about 1,500km,” he wrote.
He recounted Buhari’s sense of duty, such as his resolve not to disrupt Lagos traffic by attending an event until reminded of the organisers’ sacrifices, prompting him to change his mind and attend in person.
Adesina further challenged popular perceptions of the late president as aloof, describing his decision-making process as deeply thoughtful.
He also refuted claims that Buhari was unaware of the happenings in government, while also citing his religious tolerance.
“My mother, that stately, urbane woman, had died in August 2013, aged 75. We were having part of the obsequies in Lagos, and I’d invited many people, including Major General Buhari, former military head of state.
“To my utmost shock, he came! And not only that, he stayed through the Christian ceremony. Bigot? That’s the man they say never wants to hear about any other religion, except Islam. A man who wanted to Islamise Nigeria. My respect for him went several notches higher,” he added.
He concluded his tribute by acknowledging Buhari’s imperfections but emphasising that his good deeds would outlive him.
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