Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has mourned the demise of former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, saying that his contributions and counsels on on national issues and mediation for peaceful co-existence would be sorely missed.
Buhari, in a statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity) on Monday said Ekwueme was unwavering in his commitment to ensure peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as an entity.
According to the statement, “President Muhammadu Buhari sends condolences to Nigerians, and to the government and people of Anambra State, on the passing away of elder statesman and former Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (GCON), on Sunday, November 19, 2017.
“President Buhari commiserates with the entire Oko Kingdom, the Aguata Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Ekwueme family, over the loss of the family’s patriarch, whose regular counsels on national issues and mediations for peaceful co-existence would be sorely missed,” it said.
The statement added that Buhari affirmed that Dr Ekwueme’s unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria had been a major encouragement to many governments, recalling the personal sacrifices he made in helping to lay the foundation for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.
The statement said the president believed Ekwueme worked assiduously to improve the livelihood of many poor and underprivileged people through the Alex Ekwueme Foundation, describing him as a man who served his country and humanity.
“The President prays that the almighty God will receive the soul of the former Vice President, and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss,” it added.