Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday said a former Head of the Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan, died “at a time Nigeria was in dire need of his leadership, wealth of experience and wisdom to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the nation.”
Shonekan, former Head of the Interim National Government, was announced dead on Tuesday at the age of 85.
In a condolence letter to Mrs Margaret Shonekan, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said the late Business mogul was “a role model and an epitome of the good in the nation’s business firmament of mixed blessings.”
On the political scene, Obasanjo noted that, “Chief Shonekan, as the Interim National Government in Nigeria in 1993, though short-lived for the period of three months through the palace coup orchestrated by General Sani Abacha, rendered outstanding service to our country, and we will never forget that.
“It is also worthy of note that as Special Envoy on the Implementation of the Abuja Agreement on Zimbabwe in 2001 under my administration as the President of Nigeria; and Chairman, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission under Yar’Adua’s administration in 2008, he was forthright, dedicated and showed great patriotism in the discharge of his duties.
“He was a unifying force for the nation and his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot be forgotten in a hurry. In all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility. He was an achiever. Indeed, Chief Shonekan died at a time the country is in dire need of his leadership, wealth of experience and wisdom to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the nation.”
