The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that Nigeria lost a rare patriot with the death of Tony Momoh.
Momoh, who was the Minister of Information during General Ibrahim Babangida military rule, died on Monday at the age of 81.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammmed said that the demise of the veteran journalist and politician, “has robbed Nigeria of a rare patriot and a respected elder statesman”.
Expressing shock over the death of Momoh, who was also a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mohammed said he was devoted and worked tirelessly in his lifetime towards the birth of APC.
”To ensure the success of the new party, Prince Momoh and his colleagues from the other merging parties ensured that the parties were not just dissolved, but also that their registration certificates were returned to INEC, which then cancelled them,” he said.
He added that the former Minister was a strong believer in Nigeria’s ability to surmount its challenges to become a highly respected member of the comity of nations, noting that this informed his ”Letter To My Countrymen” series which later culminated in a book, ”Reflections on Letters To My Countrymen,” which he published in 1993.
According to Mohammmed, the former Minister “will be remembered for his meritorious service to his fatherland, his love of humanity and his loyalty.”
He urged his family to take solace in his indelible legacy and prayed that God will grant repose to the soul of the departed and also comfort and strengthen his family.