Obasanjo condoles with Kukah over mother’s death

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has condoled with Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah over the death of his mother, late Mrs Janet Hauwa Kukah.

Penpushing reports that, Obasanjo in a condolence message, made available by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi on Thursday, described the late mother as a worthy gift to Nigeria and humanity.

The former President commended Kukah’s love and attention given to his mother “which enabled her to live for as long as she did, 86 years. I commend her great sense of family, particularly at this time when the foundations of family are threatened by all sorts of distractions.  That she lived so long is proof that, on your part, you loved and honoured your mother as God commands us to do.

“Having shared in the passion and death of our Lord, may God grant her sharing in kingdom with Christ after His resurrection.  As we mourn your mother, may God grant us all that she has left behind the grace to cease to live for ourselves and live for Him, who for our sake died and was raised to life; He who was never sick Himself but took upon Himself our sicknesses that we may be healed; He who assumed our guilt as His own, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

“We must all take the opportunity of your mother’s death to give thanks to God for the memory of our mothers who were virtuous women. We thank them for their steadfast love for us, for their generosity and self-sacrifice. May they know now of our appreciation and love as we build our own lives on the foundations of the example they left to us’.

“I pray that God, who is the physician of men and of nations, the restorer of the years that have been destroyed, may look upon the distractions of our country and the divisions of our people and be pleased to stretch forth His healing hand and draw all of us unto Him and to one another by the bands of His love so that, as one united country, we may fulfil His purpose and glorify His name’.

“On behalf of my family and on my own behalf, we pray that God grant Mama’s soul perfect rest and that He may continue to guide, protect, preserve and guard you as Mama’s offspring for the benefit of family, community, nation and humanity.”