By CHARLES IWUOHA

Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has mourned the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a man of honour, discipline, and integrity who loved and served his nation with unwavering dedication, fairness and selflessness.

Umahi made this remarks in a tribute to the late former President during the signing of condolence Register at the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi-Abuja, on Thursday.

He recounted some of the fond memories of the life and times of the former President, whom he said was a man of humour, generous heart and deep sense of commitment to national unity, and whose legacies as a Military Head of State and a democratically elected President of Nigeria have left lasting impressions on the landscape of the nation's developmental history.

In an emotion laden tribute, he said: "I personally believed that such a man with so much discipline, integrity, honesty, and selfless service to humanity would live up to 100 years. The last time I spoke with him was during the Sallah before this last one. While he was in office, I was always, as a governor, giving him Abakaliki rice, and he loved it so much.

“So, I had continued to do that. And so when I sent that Abakaliki rice to him, he called me, and he was very happy, and he said I'm not missing Abakaliki rice even when I am out of the office. He helped Ebonyi State very highly. He supported us. I can't forget, even when the enemies of progress wanted to thwart the emergence of my present Governor, he stepped in and called the national chairman of our party, and gave him an order that it has to be the present Governor."

The Hon. Minister further recounted: "I remember how he came to Ebonyi State, and from 9 o'clock in the morning, he was commissioning projects till 10 p.m. While I was escorting him to his room, he said, Governor and I answered. You know how to punish somebody very, very well. And I said to him, you signed for it, sir. You know he is a very humorous person. I also remember when we built the airport, and then we named the airport after him, and then, before the exit of his office, he renamed it after the late Senator Chuba Okadigbo.

That's how selfless the man was. I would almost say that I was the most beloved governor during his time. There's nothing I sought from him that he didn't give us. And collectively, as governors, he helped us so much. Is it the Paris Club fund? Is it the Anchor borrowers fund and other interventions?"

The Minister noted that the death of the former President has left moments of grief and a great vacuum of an indelible loss in the hearts of Nigerians. He conveyed his deepest condolences “to the President Bola Tinubu, the family and associates of the late former President, and indeed all Nigerians on this sad loss”.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Minister's Special Adviser on Media, Orji Uchenna Orji, and made available to journalists in Abakalili.

He commended the President for the special accolades he accorded to his predecessor while alive and even in death. "So, we miss him so badly, and the nation will miss him. And I thank very highly the President, Bola Tinubu.

"Irrespective of what people darkening council without knowledge may say, the former President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged during the celebration of the second year in office of President Bola Tinubu, that the man helped him to actualise his destiny to be the President of Nigeria," Umahi said. He prayed for God's enduring fortitude on the hearts of all Nigerians at this moment of grief.