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Buhari mourns late Tanzania President, Magufuli
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness at the passing of Tanzania’s President, John Pombe Magufuli.
Magufuli, 61, was announced dead in a televised address on Thursday night by the country’s vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan, who said Magufuli had died of heart complications.
“It is with great regret that I inform you that today, 17 March 2021, at 18:00, we have lost our courageous leader, President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania” said Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania Vice President. Hassan said that Magufuli was hospitalized on March 6 at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute.
Reacting to the passage, in a statement by on Thursday, Buhari said Magufuli left a “legacy of patriotism and dedication to the African course will continue to resonate across the continent”.
“The President believes the late Tanzanian President’s courage and love for his country inspired various reforms that generations will continue to celebrate, which include the challenging decision to reduce size and cost of governance, insistence on a people focused budget, with clear priorities on education and health, and consistently fighting profligacy and frivolities in public expenditures.”
Buhari further claimed that the deceased dedicated his life to serve the country and humanity in many capacities; starting from teaching to eventually becoming the president of the country.
Buhari concluded with a condolence message to his family, friends, associates of the deceased and the people of Tanzania.
“President Buhari affirms that the former Tanzanian leader spent most of his life serving the country and humanity, with a rich pedigree of working as a school teacher, and rising steadily in public service as Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister of Works, Minister of Works, Minister of Lands and Human Settlement and Minister of Livestock and Fisheries,” he said.
“The President extends condolences to the family of the late visionary leader of Tanzania, his friends and associates, and all citizens of the country, trusting God to comfort them.”