Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has called his counterpart in Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo, from London, to condole him and the people of Ghana over the passing of former United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in the early hours of Saturday.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari, assured Akufo-Addo that Nigerians and ECOWAS member countries share in the deep loss, considering the strategic influence of the former UN scribe in global affairs and his vision for the repositioning of the West Coast and Africa.
Buhari also noted that, as the first elected staff of the United Nations to lead the global body and first African to win the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations, Annan’s humility, nobility and love for humanity set him apart for global greatness, achieving recognition and commendation for the reform of the United Nations’ bureaucracy and multiple interventions to bring peace to the world.
The President said Annan’s origin and home will always be traced to Ghana, but his exceptional leadership roles, humanitarian spirit and contributions to global peace and development will remain indelible in the history of the entire world, especially the efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa and launch of the UN Global Compact.
The statement said Buhari also sent condolences to the wife of the diplomat, Nane Maria Annan and his family members, staff of the United Nations and the global organisations he was heading, like The Elders, which was founded by Nelson Mandela.
President Buhari prayed that almighty God will comfort his family and all his loved ones.