Adeniji’s death, a great loss to Nigeria, says Obasanjo

Adeniji’s death, a great loss to Nigeria, says Obasanjo

Thursday, November 30, 2017 5:16 pm



LATE AMBASSADOR. OLUYEMI ADENIJI

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo  said the death of Amb. Oluyemi Adeniji, was a great loss to Nigeria.

Obasanjo said this in a letter of condolence to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta on Thursday.

He noted that Nigeria had lost one of nation’s most outstanding diplomats who brought his unique knowledge and experience into the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International community.

Obasanjo said that Amb. Adeniji’s enormous contributions to the nation in particular, and international community in general earned him an eminent position in the nation’s gallery of unforgettable public servants.

“I am currently in China attending, the Club of Madrid General Assembly and Annual Policy Dialogue, the sad and shocking news of the passing of Adeniji got to me with a personal deep sense of loss.

“In particular, I note his memorable stint in the Nigerian Foreign Service in the decades after Nigeria’s attainment of independence, during which he carved a niche for himself in global diplomacy.

“He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian Embassies in Washington D.C., Sierra Leone, Ghana and France. In all of these places, he served committed, loyally and with distinction.

“Amb. Adeniji worked closely with me during my Administration as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2003 and 2006 and later as Minister of Internal Affairs between 2006 and 2007.

“He contributed immensely to the anticipation and management of crisis within and in several brother African countries, in pursuance of our foreign policy thrust, which retained Africa as centerpiece of our diplomatic agenda, ” Obasanjo said.

He urged Nigerians and the family of the deceased to find solace in the fact that God granted him the grace to come this far in the journey of life and in the enviable legacies that he left behind in the nation and the international community.

NAN reports that Adeniji died in London at the weekend at the age of 83.

Announcing his death, the National President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria(ARCAN) Amb. Dapo Fafowora, in a statement released  on Wednesday, said the former diplomat, died on Sunday.

Adeniji was born on July 22, 1934 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

A career diplomat who began his sojourn in July 1960, Adeniji rose through the ranks in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was for five years, the Special Representative of the United Nations General Secretary with the UN Mission in Sierra Leone.

He served in Nigerian embassies in Washington, D.C., Freetown and Accra, Ghana.

He retired from service in 1991 after serving as the Director-General of the Ministry of foreign affairs. For five years, he was the Nigerian Ambassador to France.

He was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He served between July 2003 and June 2006, when he was moved to head the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


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