Former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has narrated his personal experience over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Mohammed, the death of Buhari left him paralyzed, and it took several days for him to recover.
Speaking in an interview with AIT ahead of the unveiling of a new book which chronicles his experiences in office as a Minister during the administration of the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, Mohammed narrated that many people failed to understand the personality of the former Nigerian leader.
He described Buhari’s death as devastating, explaining that a whole chapter in the forthcoming book is dedicated to Buhari.
Mohammed said he began writing the book in June, about a month before the former president’s death, and the book would be dedicated on December 17, a date he deliberately chose in honour of President Buhari.
“It is the first posthumous birthday of President Buhari. If he were to be alive, he would have been 83 that day.
“When he died, I was paralysed for days. When I recovered, I decided to dedicate a whole chapter to him in the book,” he said.
Mohammed recalled that during his eight-year working relationship with Buhari, the former President gave him all the needed support to succeed.
“In the entire eight years, the president asked me for a favour only once.
“He called and asked if I could deliver a paper on his behalf at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. I agreed, and I did it gladly.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the former Minister dismissed public perceptions that Buhari was unaware of happenings in government or detached from national issues.
In contrast, Mohammed described Buhari as a leader who was on top of his game and coordinated governance effectively.
“Many commentators have little understanding of how government works.
“Anyone who worked with Buhari would know that he was always in touch, in charge and on top of his game.
“Apart from when he was ill, he presided over Council meetings effectively. He had institutional memory and experience from his prior leadership roles.
“To say he was disconnected is unfair,” he said.
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