President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock over the death of elder statesman, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule.
Sule died at a Cairo hospital, Egypt on Monday.
The message of the president is contained in a letter of condolence he personally sent to the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, the president was quoted as saying Sule’s death was a “heavy loss.”
The message, he said, would be delivered by the federal government delegation to the burial as constituted by the Acting President.
The President’s letter according to the statement 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.”
