Buhari Mourns Niki Tobi, Amadi, Maduekwe

PMBPresident Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the families, governments and people of Abia, Delta and Rivers States on the deaths of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Niki Tobi and literary icon, Elechi Amadi.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president said he received the death of Maduekwe, who also served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, with profound sadness.

President Buhari recalled that in all his years of service to Nigeria as a diplomat, minister, politician and ambassador, Maduekwe was an ardent believer in the unity of Nigeria and gave all to that pursuit.

As Foreign Affairs Minister, President Buhari said Maduekwe’s relentless call for citizen diplomacy and Nigerians to be treated with dignity across the globe would continue to inspire other patriotic people to promote a positive international image of the country.

The president also paid tribute to eminent jurist, Justice Tobi, describing him as a brave jurist who served Nigeria creditably and brought his many years of training, knowledge and wisdom to the Bench.

In the same vein, Buhari joined the literary and academic community in mourning the passing of Amadi, who he said introduced many generations of the world to the vibrant Nigerian culture through his writings and postulations as a novelist, poet and playwright of repute.

It would be recalled that Justice Tobi died early hours of Friday, June 24 at the National Hospital, Abuja, a month to his 76th birthday; Amadi also passed away on Wednesday, June 29 at a hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the age of 82 while Maduekwe slumped in a vehicle on Wednesday while coming from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at the age of 71.