President Muhammadu Buhari has come under fire from Nigerians, for failing to attend the burial ceremonies of the late Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, on Saturday.
Similarly, many governors were criticised for ignoring Attahiru’s burial, yet converged on Kano for the wedding of one the sons of Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Following Buhari’s recent trip to France for the African Finance Summit, many expected him to be fit enough to make a short drive within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, to honour the head of the country’s military.
However, Buhari was conspicuously missing at both the church and mosque services and at the graveyard.
The president only addressed the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of Attahiru and 10 others in a statement on Friday night.
An army whose morale is at an all-time low lost its Chief & four other Gens in a tragic crash & the C-in-C could not spit the toothpick out of his mouth and drag himself out of his couch to attend his funeral and perhaps give a morale-boosting eulogy to the departed while at it? https://t.co/a1chpgfIp6
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— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) May 22, 2021
An army whose morale is at an all-time low lost its Chief & four other Gens in a tragic crash & the C-in-C could not spit the toothpick out of his mouth and drag himself out of his couch to attend his funeral and perhaps give a morale-boosting eulogy to the departed while at it? https://t.co/a1chpgfIp6
— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) May 22, 2021
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Governors shun Army Chief’s burial, attend Malami’s wedding
While the nation mourns the death of COAS and other military officers, some Northern Governors and friends of the AGF, Malami gathered in Kano to celebrate his son’s wedding. pic.twitter.com/bHgnZouIzl
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— Maybeks (@Maybeks) May 22, 2021
Many governors converged on Kano for the wedding of one the sons of Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
After the plane crash of Friday, Malami issued a statement, saying he had cut short his son’s wedding.
But it was pomp and pageantry in Kano when Abiru Rahman Malami, second son of the minister, got married at Alfurqan Juma’at mosque in the Kano metropolis.
Among the governors who attended the wedding were Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).
Nigerians tongue lash Buhari, governors on Twitter
If it is true that at the time Nigeria is going through a national tragedy of loosing our revered hero, General Attahiru, but some Northern Governors are busy celebrating a wedding ceremony of a Attorney General/Justice Minister’s son, in Nigeria, then this is a double tragedy. pic.twitter.com/c0s4XJsi12
— Adamu Garba II (@adamugarba) May 22, 2021
@AustinNwabufo: Buhari & Osinbajo overwhelmed with fears, carefully avoids, COAS burial, they lack leadership courage like that of late Idris Deby Itno of Chad, I laugh
@aliyubinabbas1: Neither Buhari nor his VP could attend the funeral of those officers even in Abuja but travelled to France for 4days! GEJ attended the funeral of his late Security Adviser 4000km away!
@myklazonline: Buhari, president and Commander‐in‐Chief of the Armed Forces did not see it as appropriate to attend the funeral of his army chief and 4 other generals that lost their lives accidentally but it’s “ndi Spare Parts” and “Biafra boys” that should come and be mourning? #SpareParts
@jeffphilips1: If you want Buhari to attend events of national importance or visit sites of national tragedies, tell him there’s a campaign for his reelection going on there and stay glued to your TV.
@OkwubunkaK: Someone just said Buhari did not attend the burial of COAS and others that lost their lives in active service because if Security reasons.. Please thunder Where are you??
@uiniodu: I had expected that President Buhari would address the nation today as a mark of respect for the tragic demise of the COAS and other gallant soldiers that died yesterday serving Nigeria. He is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces but he didn’t even attend the burial.
@Zipayne92: Buhari not attending the falling heroes funeral truly shocked me.
@aliyu_saleeh: Couldn’t believe President Buhari was absence at the burial of late Chief of army staff Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim…why Buhari always show I don’t care attitude when it comes to something like this.
@usman_dudu: In a saner clime, the President will be the first person on the ground immediately the event happened, reach out to their families, address the country and convened an emergency session of the national security council but this is Nigeria and Buhari is the President.
@Sir_elmusty: Oboy Buhari didn’t come to honor the remains of Late COAS Attahiru.
Mehhn this Man is highly irresponsible. How could any leader be this insensitive ?