President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and other prominent Nigerians were lavish with eulogies for a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Late Chief Ufot Ekaette.
Ekaette, the pioneer Minister of Niger Delta Affairs ministry and former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State was on Saturday interred at Ikot Edor his country home in Onna local government area.
Buhari, represented by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr. Boss Mustapha described the late Ekaette as a committed and accomplished public servant.
He said that late SGF served Nigeria diligently in different capacities as a career Civil Servant and attended the position of Permanent Secretary who headed many ministries while he was alive.
“As a politician, he served as the 14th Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Pioneer Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs,” the President said.
He explained that the good works and the legacy of late chief Ekaette was a source of pride to the wife, the family members, the people of Akwa Ibom and indeed the entire nation.
According to the President, the demise of Ekaette has deprived Nigerians of the elder statesman and committed patriots.
“On behave of the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the wife, Sen. Eme Ekaette, family and the people of the state.
Buhari urged the family to be consoled in the richly fulfilled life of late Ufot Ekaette lived.
He prayed God to comfort his wife and family and grant the soul of the departed eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord.
The former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, also said that his administration would not have achieved without former late SGF.
“My achievements in the military, government and other places could not have been made without late Chief Ekaette and others.
“Late Chief Ekaette is one of the most significant of them to make those achievements possible,” Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo described late Ekaette as an epitome of Service, Integrity, Diligence, humility, simplicity, commitment and Contentment.
“Whichever way you examined his life, you will find these attributes and for us, for him, we only pray for him and pay him the last respect,” the former president said.
He said that late chief Ekaette was diligently committed to his work, adding that there was no weekend that he did not go to work.
In his remarks, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom thanked the dignitaries who graced the burial ceremony of late chief Ufot Ekaette.
“We gathered here this afternoon to celebrate the life of our illustrious son,” he said.
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