Tofa was never afraid to speak truth to power – Buhari

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the late Bashir Tofa as a man who was never afraid to speak the truth to power.

According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said that the late politician of note, who once ran as Presidential Candidate in a two-horse race, was also a promoter of Islamic culture and civilization.

He added that the late Tofa was noted for his untiring commitment to public enlightenment and was unafraid to speak the truth all the time that he lived.

He recalled that Tofa set up the Bureau for Islamic Propagation (BIP) in the mid-80s that helped to unite Muslim Scholars in the Northern States, narrowing the differences that characterized their relationships.

The BIP also published books and newspapers.

President Buhari described the late Tofa as a true nationalist that would be difficult to replace.

‘He was, till the end, a patriot to the core. He envisaged a better Nigeria for all. We pray that this dream and collective aspiration and necessary commitment will not go with him. We owe it to his memory and to the nation,’ said the president.

President Buhari prayed to Allah to repose his soul and grant fortitude to the bereaved family and friends, the Kano Emirate Council as well as the government and people of Kano State to bear the loss.

Meanwhile, the president has dispatched a delegation to Kano with a condolence letter to the State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The team is made up of the Ministers of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (retd) and Water Resources, Engineer Sulaiman Adamu accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.