• President mourns Aruwa’s passing
By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday received a condolence message and assurance of support in the fight against terrorism from His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, who prayed for peace and unity in Nigeria and African.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, said King Abdullah, who is from the Hashemite family of Jordan, spoke with President Buhari in a telephone conversation, and commended the Nigerian Army for their courage and resilience in the face of challenges in fighting terrorism.
According to him, “President Buhari thanked King Abdullah for his concern on the recent setbacks that led to the loss of military lives in the North-east region.
The president assured him that several measures had been discussed and were being implemented to steer the country from the unfortunate occurrence.
“President Buhari told King Abdullah that he would continue to work towards total elimination of terrorism in the Lake Chad basin area.
“He commended King Abdullah for his support and steadfastness for the global effort against terrorism, describing the collaboration between Jordan and Nigeria and the rest of Africa, through the platform of Aqaba Counter Terrorism Retreats, as very beneficial,” Garba said.
The Aqaba Counter Terrorism Retreats is convened by King Abdullah.
In another statement made available by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari condoled with government and people of Kaduna State over the death of Senator Muktar Ahmed Aruwa, who represented Kaduna Central constituency in 1999 and 2003.
The president commiserates with the National Assembly, family, friends and political associates of the deceased, recounting the many contributions of the senator to the growth of democracy in Nigeria, especially during his days at the legislature.
President Buhari affirmed that Aruwa lived to serve the country in many facets, including sports, noting that founding Ranchers Bees Football Team in Kaduna by the late senator provided a platform for grooming youths for the national team and international clubs.
He said Aruwa’s life and times were memorable, and most remarkable for his love for humanity, which saw him sponsoring many charitable causes to support the poor and vulnerable, and also for speaking up for a more equitable society.
