Segun James
The remains of the former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, were yesterday laid to rest at the cemetery located within Grail Land, Iju Hills, in Lagos, in line with his wishes.
At the Grail funeral, which lasted for just one hour, the head of the Grail Movement, Nigeria who presided at Temple, said Momoh joined the order on December 27, 1974, and had remained steadfast to his calling.
The Grail Movement refused photographs and journalists from entering the temple for lying-in-state and other rituals.
After the service in which only the leader of the Movement was only allowed to speak, the body was later taken to the cemetery where it was interred.
One of the children of the deceased, Mr. Abdulrasheed Momoh, who spoke with journalists at a restaurant situated in the premises of Grail Land, said: “Honestly, he has left a huge gap and I have to emulate him.
“He invested in humans, a father to all, and he was there for all. He had a list of people he was giving money to. We saw huge vouchers for these people in a bag.
“He was a rare man; I am happy for having him. I am proud of him.”
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu, said that Momoh never discriminated between Christians and Moslems, Southerners or Northerners but stood for the sanctity of the constitution and unity of Nigeria.
Shaibu said: “He was an exemplary leader. He believed in the unity of the country and spoke about it a lot. Through his speeches and commentaries, Tony Momoh made his opinion known.
“He didn’t care about what people say but about what unites us. We should do things that unite us. He was a man that believed in the sanctity of our constitution and unity of our country.”
According to him, Nigeria has reasons to celebrate Momoh’s life and not to mourn him.
Momoh, a lawyer and former editor of the nation’s flagship newspaper, the Daily Times, was said to have requested that he be buried according to the Grail Movement doctrine.
Momoh was the 165 child of his father, the late Otaru (Royal father) of Auchi Kingdom, HRH Zaiki Momoh.
