President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo Senate President Bukola Saraki and Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson have paid tribute to the late former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi.
President: he was a man of enviable integrity
Buhari described him as a man, whose greatest asset in life was his enviable integrity and incorruptibility.
The President believed that Justice Akanbi would be long remembered for his enormous contributions in bringing credibility and respectability to the country’s judiciary.
Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that the death of the pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a colossal loss to the Nigerian judiciary and the country as a whole.
According to the President, “being respected by the people for your honesty and patriotism is the best legacy a man can leave behind.
“In a country where corruption is perceived as fashionable, Akanbi stood out as a remarkable man who put personal integrity and selflessness before the desire for money outside his legitimate income.”
The President affirmed that Justice Akanbi’s greatest achievement was leaving the public service with his integrity intact and untainted.
‘A paragon of rectitude is gone’
Obasanjo said the late ICPC was a man who radiated honesty and integrity.
In a condolence letter to Akanbi’s eldest child, Akeem Akanbi and signed by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the late Akanbi as a distinguished Nigerian, an icon, a paragon of rightness and rectitude, who devoted his life to the service of Nigeria.
The ex-President revealed that the demise of Akanbi has left him in a “sorrowful” state since it happened.
The letter reads: “It is with a grieving heart, but with obedience to the will of the Almighty that I write to commiserate with you and other members of your family over the painful demise of your loving father, our most revered Hon. Justice Muhammad Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi.
“News of his death today, Sunday, June 3, 2018, came to me as a jarring shock far away in Dubai. But we mortals can never question the designs of the Almighty Allah.
“In a country like ours, which is abundantly endowed with stars and frontiersmen, Justice Akanbi was one genuine patriot who radiated dominantly within our national space and beyond. He was a distinguished Nigerian, an icon, a paragon of rightness and rectitude, whose life is devoted entirely to the service of his nation. He was a role model and a nationalist.”
Saraki says Akanbi was a honest, principled jurist
Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the late Akanbi as an indefatigable, honest and principled jurist, who upheld the fine ethics of the judicial process till he breathed his last.
“I am sad that Baba (Akanbi) has left us. He was fearless, courageous and spoke truth to power during his lifetime,” Saraki said.
One of the finest justices is gone, says Dickson
Dickson commiserated with the governments and people of Kwara State over the demise of Akanbi.
The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, described Akanbi as one of the finest justices in Nigeria.
Dickson said while on the bench, Akanbi dispensed justice without fear or favour.
He said: “Justice Akanbi was a courageous judge who used the bench to dispense justice without fear or favour and rose to be President of Court of Appeal. As Chairman of ICPC, he fought corruption to a standstill for which we are grateful to him. His death is clearly an irredeemable loss to the country. ”