By Amos Tauna
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, has said that the country will miss the wise counsel of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Sule.
The Governor prayed Allah to grant peaceful repose to the soul of this titan who reached out to young and old alike, who earned and retained the respect of many and was blessed to live to a ripe old age.
In a condolence message through his spokesman, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, governor El-Rufai described the late Ambassador as a statesman and noted that he was an orator who was among the generation that laid the foundations of modern Nigeria.
“As a young minister in the First Republic, and in other roles in public life, Ambassador Maitama Sule served the people of this country with panache and refreshing optimism,” governor El-Rufai observed.
The governor said that it was a privilege to have known the elder-statesman, and to have benefitted from his prayers and counsel.
He observed that the generation that secured independence and partook in the daunting task of governing a young country wss disappearing, saying that, “We thank Allah for their lives and service. We pray for Allah’s mercy on the departed and guidance for those of us that remain as we seek to do our duty to our people and our country.”
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