Atiku honoured at Mandela’s burial, gets front-row seat

Atiku honoured at Mandela’s burial, gets
front-row seat
on december 16, 2013 at 10:24 am in news
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- FORMER Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
yesterday said he was humbled sitting on 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 the former Presidential aspirant on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he
was also honoured flying on the same plane with
the South Africa President, Jacob Zuma from
Pretoria to Mthatha to be part of Mandela’s last
journey.
A statement from Atiku’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
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.”
“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.”