President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his condolences over the passing of the former Military Governor of the defunct North Central State, retired Brig.-Gen. Abba Kyari.
Buhari’s condolence message is contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday evening.
The president also condoled with the government and people of Kaduna, Katsina and Borno states over the demise of the elder statesman.
He said: “We are extremely saddened by the news of Gen. Abba Kyari’s passing away, an officer and a gentleman for whom we have a lot respect.’’
President Buhari prayed to God to accept his soul, and grant fortitude to the family and friends he left behind to bear the loss.
Relatedly, Buhari has expressed sadness over the passing on of one of Nigeria’s renowned poets and winner of the 2017 Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (NLNG) sponsored Prize for Literature, Ikeogu Oke.
The president’s condolence message is contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja on Monday.
President Buhari also extended heartfelt condolences to Oke’s family, the literary and creative community on the painful demise of the award-winning poet.
He affirmed that as an author, journalist and poet, Oke exuded vibrancy, intelligence and innovation in his works.
According to him, Oke as a social commentator, was constantly in search of plausible answers and solutions to contemporary issues bedeviling his society.
The president believed that Oke through his poetry had enriched Nigeria’s literary genre and his legacy would live on in his works.
He noted that Oke was incredibly proud of and committed to his work as he wrote in his epic Epitaph: ‘‘Here lies a man who loved virtue and art, And gave to both his fortunes and his heart…’’
The president encouraged all Nigerians, the literary community and lovers of art to honour Ikeogu Oke’s memory by imbibing the didactic message of his works.
He prayed God to console all who mourned the departed poet and grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.
Oke came into the limelight in 2017 when he won the Nigeria Prize for Literature for his book, The Heresiad.
(NAN)
