Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said Sunday, that he was
humbled to be seated in the front- row at both the state funeral and
private burial ceremonies of former South Africa President, Nelson
Mandela at his native home at Qunu, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape
Province.
According to Atiku, he also felt honoured flying on the same plane
with the South Africa President, Jacob Zuma from Pretoria to Mthatha to
be part of Mandela’s final journey.
A statement from the former vice president’s office yesterday read,
“Former Vice President Abubakar was on Sunday honored by the South
African leadership with front-row seat at both the state funeral and
private burial ceremonies of global icon, Madiba Nelson Mandela at the
late leader’s native home at Qunu, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape
Province.
“Mandela’s body was flown here from Pretoria where he had lain is
state for three days for a state funeral attended by 4,000 and a private
burial witnessed by 400, reserved for key government officials, a few
foreign leaders and intimate family members.
“Atiku was selected to be among the few lucky personalities to see
Mr. Mandela’s final burial ceremonies in the land of his ancestors in
accordance with the Xhosa culture by the South African leadership, with
which he has maintained an excellent type of relationship since the days
when he, as Vice President and the then Deputy President Zuma
co-chaired the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-national Commission. That was a
period marked by important trade and investment relations between the
two countries.
“A few African heads of state and international figures including
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Iranian Vice President and Prince Charles of Britain
were similarly honored.
“In a word: humbled”, said Atiku following today’s (yesterday)
services. “Humbled to have known a man as great as Nelson Mandela;
humbled to have been a witness today and humbled to have been so honored
by the government of South Africa”.
The statement added that “Atiku flew from Pretoria to Mthatha with
President Zuma in the same plane. The state funeral was held with
extremely tight security under a vast domed marquee constructed for the
purpose in the verdant hills adjacent to the house Mr. Mandela built in
Qunu”.
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