…A statesman’s journey ends, but his legacy endures
The Chairman, Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council & Co-Chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, D. Litt, CFR, Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ife has received the news of the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR with a rude shock, describing it as the end of a remarkable chapter in Nigeria’s national history.
The Spiritual Leader of the Oduduwa worldwide believes that, while death is a divine passage that no man can escape, the revered monarch emphasized that kings and leaders of great legacy are not mourned, they are celebrated; for their footprints in the sands of time remain long after they have transitioned to the ancestral realm.
Ooni Ogunwusi extolls the late President Buhari as a resilient leader, a disciplined soldier, and an unrepentant patriot, whose life symbolized selfless service, firm belief in the unity of Nigeria, and a lifelong commitment to national development. From the battlefield as a gallant military officer to the highest office in the land as Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari was a man who gave his all to the cause of the Nigerian nation.
Referring to a recent meeting with the former President, the Ooni stated that, “He was in a very high spirit, strong and jovial as usual as he attended to him with maximum courtesy. It is really shocking to realize that he is no more but I think that in itself is a lesson to everyone here on earth.
“As a true son of the North an esteemed elder statesman of the Nigerian federation a pan-African per excellence, Muhammadu Buhari stood for integrity, frugality, and unwavering devotion to the ideals of a better Nigeria. His place in our national consciousness remains etched in gold, and history will be kind to his memory,” Ooni remarked.
The Ooni of Ife further noted that though President Buhari may have physically departed, his legacy as a nationalist, a reformer, and a bridge-builder between generations and ethnic divides lives on. The monarch urged Nigerians across tribes, religions, and political affiliations to draw inspiration from his firm belief in Nigeria’s unity and strive to uphold the values of peace, equity, and progress.
On behalf of the Yoruba race, the entire House of Oduduwa worldwide and traditional institutions across the country, Ooni Ogunwusi offers heartfelt condolences to the Buhari family, Federal government of Nigeria, Kastina State Government, Associates, colleagues people of Daura Emirate community, people of Katsina State, and Nigerians across the world.
May the Almighty God grant his departed soul eternal rest in Aljanah Firdaus and console his family and the loved ones he left behind.
Signed:
Otunba Moses Olafare,
Director, Media & Public Affairs,
Ooni’s Palace,
Ile-Ife
