Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said Sunday, that he was humbled to be seated in the front- row at both the state funeral and private burial ceremonies of former South Africa President, Nelson Mandela at his native home at Qunu, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape Province.
According to Atiku, he also felt honoured flying on the same plane with the South Africa President, Jacob Zuma from Pretoria to Mthatha to be part of Mandela’s final journey.
A statement from the former vice president’s office yesterday read, “Former Vice President Abubakar was on Sunday honored by the South African leadership with front-row seat at both the state funeral and private burial ceremonies of global icon, Madiba Nelson Mandela at the late leader’s native home at Qunu, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape Province.
“Mandela’s body was flown here from Pretoria where he had lain is state for three days for a state funeral attended by 4,000 and a private burial witnessed by 400, reserved for key government officials, a few foreign leaders and intimate family members.
“Atiku was selected to be among the few lucky personalities to see Mr. Mandela’s final burial ceremonies in the land of his ancestors in accordance with the Xhosa culture by the South African leadership, with which he has maintained an excellent type of relationship since the days when he, as Vice President and the then Deputy President Zuma co-chaired the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-national Commission. That was a period marked by important trade and investment relations between the two countries.
“A few African heads of state and international figures including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Iranian Vice President and Prince Charles of Britain were similarly honored.
“In a word: humbled”, said Atiku following today’s (yesterday) services. “Humbled to have known a man as great as Nelson Mandela; humbled to have been a witness today and humbled to have been so honored by the government of South Africa”.
The statement added that “Atiku flew from Pretoria to Mthatha with President Zuma in the same plane. The state funeral was held with extremely tight security under a vast domed marquee constructed for the purpose in the verdant hills adjacent to the house Mr. Mandela built in Qunu”.
Is he now our own Madela?
Nonsense
on what ground chairman, pls don’t be sentimental inn your thinking, Turaki’s legacies cannot be ignored.
Honor is given to whom is due, actually Turaki, the front row seat given to you at Madiba burial, was as a result of your role towards the development of your country Via democratic principles. Your effort cannot be ignored, because you are amongst the few people in this world that succeeded in inviting Mandela to a programme in your country and he honored it. Kudos to you Turakin Adamawa
Honor miss road!
We always talk as if ,we are not expose to the world,front seat or v.i.p flight means nothing,no body is above all these ,we should learn how to believe in ourselves…(Atiku and co) are just political people…they are ready to do any thing to come back to seat come 2015,..instead we should write some thing sense able for the betterment of future.(No body know him as hero)what a mess!
HE DESERVES IT, A HONOR WELL DESERVED BY THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT ATIKU ABUBAKAR.
These are the credentials you are flaunting you corrupt Ex – Vice – President. You can never rule this country.