Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), has stated that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari was uncomfortable with politics but set aside his feelings for the sake of governance.
Buhari passed away on Sunday in London and was buried on Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State. He served as President from 2015 to 2023.
In an interview with Channels TV, Mohammed, who held the position of Minister of Environment under Buhari from 2015 to 2016, paid tribute to her former boss.
She recounted how the late president played an advisory role in encouraging her to accept the UN appointment as Deputy Secretary-General.
“We were attending a climate meeting in Marrakesh when Ban Ki-moon approached me and said, ‘We believe the new Secretary-General will ask you to be his deputy,’ to which I replied, ‘No, that’s not possible; I’ve come home to serve,’” she recalled.
“I then had a conversation with him (Buhari) where I expressed my need for his support, asking him not to agree if they approached him. He said, ‘Of course not. We need all our people back here serving Nigeria; we need the best.’
“Feeling reassured, I left Marrakesh for my next trip to India. While there, I received a call from the current Secretary-General asking if I would be his Deputy Secretary-General.
“I confidently replied, ‘I can’t. I can’t leave the service I have committed to under President Muhammadu Buhari.’
“He asked, ‘Will you allow me to speak to him?’ and I said, ‘Of course, you can speak to him.’
“I was quite certain my president would say no. After returning home, I was informed that the president was looking for me.
“I went to see him, and he spoke to me at length about service, and I thought to myself, ‘My goodness, I know where this conversation is headed.’
“At the end of our discussion, after explaining the importance of representing our country, he said, ‘But of course, the decision is yours.’ In my mind, I thought, ‘Goodness, the decision is not mine.’
“In our culture, when a man of his stature, someone you regard as a father, speaks to you, it’s clear he wants the best, and the only thing you can say is ‘Yes, sir.’”
