BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, condoled with the family of Malam Adamu Ciroma, former Minister of Finance and ex-Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, who passed on at the age of 84.
Ciroma, also an erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, died at an Abuja Hospital, Thursday afternoon, after a protracted illness, a family source said. He was buried the same day in accord with Islamic injunction.
In his condolence message to the family, President Buhari, comforted the government and people of Yobe State on the death of the elder statesman, saying: “Ciroma, as a political leader and federal cabinet minister for Industries, Agriculture and Finance, at various points in his remarkable life,” would be remembered for his outstanding service and dedication to Nigeria’s “unity, progress and stability.”
The President, the statement further disclosed, affirmed that the departed political heavyweight “will be honoured for his contributions in promoting democracy in Nigeria,” adding that “his legacies should be a constant reminder to politicians who wish to work for the good of their communities and our great country.”
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a release issued by Tunde Rahman, his media aide, described Ciroma as an illustrious Nigerian who would be sorely missed by all. “He (Ciroma) was a fine man who played politics with a commitment to serve the people and change the society,” Tinubu said.
The Peoples Democratic Party, in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, described the former three-time Minister as an outstanding democrat, nationalist and a statesman, whose death has robbed the country of one of its “finest and incontrovertible patriots.”
“He is an astute administrator and a highly disciplined politician, who discharged all responsibilities vested in him with unequalled forthrightness and loyalty to the nation,” the PDP said.
On its part, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, said by Ciroma’s death, Nigeria has lost “one of its finest elder statesmen, a bridge builder and a leader who lived a simple and humble life.”
In the statement signed by Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, its National Publicity Secretary, he ACF SAID Malam Ciroma “needs no tombstone to remind us of his legacies. Yet, the best remembrance is for those he has left behind to live up to what he stood for.”
The organisation described the deceased as a quintessential civil servant and politician who served the nation in various capacities in the First, Second and Fourth Republics, as well as during the military interregnums.
“The late elder statesman would be remembered for his political doggedness, commitment to national unity and selfless service to his fatherland,” the ACF said.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, now a PDP presidential aspirant, has described the late Ciroma as a patriot and an epitome of excellent service and simplicity.
“No doubt, Malam Adamu, an epitome of simplicity and excellence, has bequeathed a legacy of humility, honesty and courage in the face of daunting odds; as well as dedication and commitment to what he believed in, top of which was his abiding faith in this country and a desire to ensure the prevalence of justice and equity,” Makarfi said,
