Friends and associates of former President Muhammadu Buhari will on July 13 hold a special event in honour of the late president, who died last July at the age of 82.
Part of the special occasion, to hold exactly a year after his death in a private hospital in the United Kingdom, will include prayers and supplications for the repose of his soul, and tributes by individuals who worked with him during his eight-year tenure as civilian president to speak to his historical legacy and share their personal experiences of him.
A book of tributes titled “Tributes and Condolences in Honor of Muhammadu Buhari” will also be unveiled.
Addressing journalists at his Asokoro residence in Abuja, Boss Mustapha, who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation under Buhari, declared that the July 13 event, to hold in Abuja, “will not only honor the memory of the late President, but also serve as a source of comfort and encouragement to his family, his friends, his admirers and the entire people of the country who continue to cherish his worthy legacy of service to the nation.”
The former SGF, who is also the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, disclosed that Buhari’s successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be the Special Guest of Honour at the elaborate one-year remembrance event.
He said: “The commemorative event will bring together the family he left behind, his friends and associates, public officials and well-wishers to remember his life and to offer prayers and supplications for the repose of his soul.
“The programme will consist principally of interfaith and interdenominational prayers reflecting the values of unity, faith and national cohesion that he upheld throughout his life and his service to our country. At the event, a select number of individuals who worked closely with the late President will speak to his historical legacy and share their personal experiences of him. A book of tributes titled Tributes and Condolences in Honor of Muhammadu Buhari will be presented to the public by the special guest of honour, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. In its pages, the global community, including heads of state, diplomats and political leaders, remembered the late President as a man of simplicity, resilience and integrity.
“Following his passing at the age of 82 on the 13th of July last year, they all honoured his life for his humility, as I said, and as a source of inspiration. I should add that the book is neither for sale nor for fundraising. It is for free distribution.
ALSO READ: How I challenged Buhari’s govt over foreign loan requests — Saraki
“Religious leaders representing the various faiths and denominations would lead prayers for him. Our hope is that the occasion will not only honor the memory of the late President, but also serve as a source of comfort and encouragement to his family, his friends, his admirers and the entire people of the country who continue to cherish his worthy legacy of service to the nation.”
The former SGF said the last one year has been a moment of solemn reflection for him about the times and life of the late Buhari.
“Personally, I miss and I cherish the memory of the service I offered the nation through his instrumentality.
“He appointed me Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and I served him for five years, several months. And we had personal moments, we had official moments. All are being held in memory.
“When I look back at his simplicity, the way he conducted his life and reflect over it, you begin to question and you begin to have that feeling of the frailty and the transient nature of life.”
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV