Following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari at the age of 82, tributes have poured in from across Nigeria and beyond.
Festus Keyamo, who served under Buhari as Minister of State for Labour and Employment, described him as a symbol of integrity and simplicity, whose leadership left a profound impact on the nation. He shared his tribute in a statement on social media.
Read Festus Keyamo’s full tribute:
TRIBUTE TO A THOROUGHBRED PATRIOT, AN OFFICER AND A
STATESMAN.
**TRIBUTE DELIVERED BY FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, CON, AT THE
EXPANDED SPECIAL FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
HELD IN HONOUR OF THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT AND
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY,
MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR.
PROTOCOLS
The passing of late President Muhammadu Buhari has evoked
different emotions and reactions from the length and breadth of Nigeria and even beyond. This is expectedly so because he was one of only two persons in the history of our country who had the opportunity to govern this country twice – first as Military Head of State and later as a democratically-elected President whose actions and policies shaped
this country in many respects that affected and defined the lives and
destinies of millions of people.
However, one consensus in the midst of these different emotions,
opinions and reactions from friends, foes and associates alike is that
President Muhammadu Buhari served this country completely
unblemished. Whether you choose to judge him harshly or kindly, the
general consensus is that he embodied honesty and integrity in public office.
He was a President who led by example, who walked the talk, who inspired integrity, uncompromising transparency and accountability in public office. He was a moral and ethical compass in governance. He served this country with a good conscience, the fear of God and extraordinary discipline. In my immediate reaction after his death, I wrote that “they don’t make them like him anymore; not given to the primitive acquisition of unearned wealth, frugal in living, austere in lifestyle, not inclined to showboating and incredibly honest to the core”.
The notion of his transparency and honesty was not just a flash in a
pan; he was trusted and tested over time because he served at
different levels and in different capacities. He was a Platoon
Commander, a Commanding Officer, a Brigade Commander, a
General Officer Commanding (GOC), a Governor of the old North
Eastern Region, a Federal Commissioner, a Federal Minister,
Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Military Head of State
and finally democratic President. Yet, he was NEVER found wanting
for once.
I was privileged to serve him in different capacities and I can attest to his rear discipline. I was his Campaign Spokesperson in the 2019 Presidential Elections and then his Minister of State (In the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs and later, Ministry of Labour and Employment).
From these vantage positions, I saw that he was a fierce stickler for
hierarchical order and discipline. The Buhari I know will NEVER, EVER
sacrifice hierarchical order and discipline on the altar of personal
relationships, family ties or friendships. Once a subordinate can no longer work with a superior, no matter how close that subordinate was to President Buhari, the subordinate would be sacrificed in order for Government to function smoothly. There are several examples that I know you all remember and as Minister of State, I enjoyed that support from him.
Only very few people in history have the grace and opportunity to
reinvent themselves at the highest level and to recraft their own
legacies. From the image of a no-nonsense and stern military dictator
of the 1980’s who truncated democracy and rode roughshod over the Rule of Law, to the image of a frustrated serial election loser, and then to the hero and symbol of Change and Hope that the nation chose to defeat a behemoth ruling party and sitting President in 2015 for the first time in our history and finally to the legacy of a sitting President who presided over a peaceful, free and fair democratic process that produced his successor in office and peacefully handed over power – this is the stuff of which thrilling, fictional movies are made.
That is why for millions of people he was an enigma in life and an enigma in death. He oscillated from one perception to the other extreme perception that was diametrically different from the first.
At the end, we can conveniently say that President Muhammadu
Buhari ticked all the boxes that we can use to qualify a quintessential
patriot, a fine officer and an exceptional Statesman.
He came, he fought and he conquered. He has finished the course and run a good race.
Goodbye Mai Gaskiya!
OLOROGUN FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK)
Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
7:50a.m
