A Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s tribute to the late President Shehu Shagari, who passed aw
A Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s tribute to the late President Shehu Shagari, who passed away on Friday at the age of 93. Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, had described Shagari’s death as the departure of a patriot, whose life of service and humility was widely acknowledged. But Junaid Mohammed stated that Shagari had gained respect by retiring and living a quiet lifestyle, unlike some in the current political class.
When asked his thoughts on Buhari’s tribute, he said, “It’s not sincere. If you’ve contributed so much in bringing down a government and bringing down a man who had nothing to gain, even though he had poor eyesight and was in poor health – he was in his late 60s then – you cannot say, from 1984 till now, you got along well. How did you get along well?
“No matter what you say about the Shagari administration, he knew how to retire from public service quietly, with a tremendous amount of nobility and self-respect. You have to give him that. In terms of retirement and living a quiet life and garnering more respect, Shagari is certainly one of Nigeria’s most outstanding leaders and I certainly believe the nation will continue to mourn him appropriately.”
