Obasanjo Mourns As Shonekan Dies At 85

Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the death of the former head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.

Obasanjo in a condolence message on Tuesday addressed to the widow of the former leader, Mrs. Margaret Shonekan described the late interim president as a man after God’s heart.

His statement, made available to newsmen by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi further eulogized the late Shonekan as a role model and an epitome of the good in the nation’s business firmament.

Obasanjo praised the contribution of Shonekan to Nigeria’s development, saying his service to the nation would never be forgotten.

Chief Obasanjo who is currently on international assignment as the High Representative of the African Union for the Horn of Africa noted that he received the news of Shonekan’s demise “with great shock, the news of the death of one of the illustrious sons of Africa, a community leader, a distinguished business baron and an exemplary leader in the private sector and, of course, the former Chairman of UAC Nigeria Limited, Chief Ernest Shonekan, with an admixture of joy for a life well spent and sadness for the loss of a beloved man after God’s heart.”

The statement went further to quote Obasanjo as saying that: “Chief Shonekan, as the head of the Interim National Government in Nigeria in1993, though short-lived for the period of three months through the palace coup orchestrated by General Sani Abacha, rendered outstanding service to our country, and we will never forget that.

“It is also worthy of note that as Special Envoy on the Implementation of the Abuja Agreement on Zimbabwe in 2001 under my administration as the President of Nigeria; and Chairman, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission under Yar’Adua’s administration in 2008, he was forthright, dedicated and showed great patriotism in the discharge of his duties.

“He was a unifying force for the nation and his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot be forgotten in a hurry. In all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility. He was an achiever. Indeed, Chief Shonekan died at a time the country is in dire need of his leadership, wealth of experience and wisdom to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the nation.”

Naija News recalls the death of Chief Shonekan was announced on Tuesday morning by his family.