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By John Ogunsemore
Femi Adesina, former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to late former President Muhammadu Buhari, said his ex-principal had many qualities that discerning Nigerians could continue to be proud of, including honesty, integrity, discipline, and altruism.
According to him, former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari was so impressed by Buhari’s honesty that he declared he had never seen anyone like him.
Adesina stated this in an opinion piece titled, ‘Muhammadu Buhari at 83: Reflections’ to commemorate the late former president’s 83rd posthumous birthday.
Buhari died in a London clinic on July 13.
“At the occasion of his first posthumous birthday, an opportunity comes to reflect on his strengths, weaknesses (yes, everybody has), and what we can learn and approximate from his life and times,” Adesina said.
He said that many people that came in contact with the late ex-president marvelled at his honesty.
Adesina said, “A man that held positions that could make him wallow and luxuriate in obscene wealth. Minister of Petroleum in the 1970s. Governor of the North-eastern State, member of the Supreme Military Council, head of state for 20 months, Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund, who sat atop billions of naira that he had liberty to dispense anyhow he wanted, then democratically elected President for two terms. Yet he had told his family that he would not stockpile money for anybody. And that was exactly how it happened.
“The day the Petroleum Industry Bill was to be signed into law, I was conversing with the then Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari. And he told me he had never seen anyone like Buhari.
“He has never sent a note to me through anyone that I should do that person a favor, or give money. An amazing person.” Many heads of agencies and parastatals under him have the same testimony.
And that was how he was all his life. He would never touch public money, despite all the positions he held. No wonder the average northerner dubbed him Mai Gaskiya (the honest one). He was frugal to a fault. Simply incorruptible.
