- Buhari, Jonathan, others mourn his passing
- Ex-Gov. was voice for the voiceless – PMB
- Nigeria lost a voice of liberty, freedom & truth – Dr. Ramalan
The remains of Second Republic Governor of Kaduna state, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, was laid to rest yesterday, in Kaduna.
The burial was preceded by a funeral prayer conducted immediately after the early evening prayer, led by Sheikh Ahmed Gumi at Sultan Bello Central Mosque, Kaduna. The mosque’s open ground was filled with people from within and outside the Kaduna metropolis who came to pay their last respect to the octogenarian, who has been described as the defender and voice of the masses.
The funeral prayer was attended amongst others by two former Governors of the State, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, while the incumbent Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i, who was said to have travelled out of the country, was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
The body was then moved to the Ungwar-Sarki cemetery, where the former Governor of old Kaduna state was laid to rest. The trip from Sultan Bello Mosque to the Ungwar-Sarki cemetery, a distance of three kilometres, took over 20 minutes, as residents in large numbers trooped to bid him final respect, amidst a horde of vehicles which meandered their way to the venue of the final interment.
President Buhari, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu in Abuja yesterday, said he joined the government and people of Kaduna State in mourning the elder statesman, whose passing he said will be sorely missed by all Nigerians whom, he added, have diligently followed his antecedents as a voice for the voiceless.
The President prayed that the almighty God will grant his soul eternal rest, and comfort his family, friends, and associates.
Similarly, former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has expressed sadness over the death of the Second Republic governor. In a condolence message to the Government and people of the state, the former President described Musa as a sincere politician who protected the interest of the people, noting that he was a highly principled politician who avoided convenient politics and relentlessly pursued his beliefs, even at the risk of suffering personal losses.
In the same vein, the Executive Chairman, Atar Communications Nig. Ltd, owners of Liberty and Muryan Yanci TV/Radio and online platforms, Dr. (Alh.) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, eulogised Balarabe Musa, in a Tweet he posted yesterday.
He stated: “In the death of Malam Balarabe Musa, Kaduna State and Nigeria just lost a Voice of Liberty, Freedom and Truth. A Special Nigerian being; he refused to conform to the corruption and abuse of office. May God Grant him Aljannah, comfort his family and political associates”.
