Tinubu sets up committee for Buhari’s state burial

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate a state burial for former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday in London.

The committee, which will be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, is charged with planning and executing all protocols for what the government describes as a befitting state funeral for the late Nigerian leader.

A statement released on Monday by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the SGF’s office, said the move reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to honouring Buhari’s legacy and ensuring that the burial is conducted with the full dignity of the Nigerian state.

READ ALSO: Shettima pays condolence visit to Aisha Buhari in London

The committee comprises key ministers and security officials, including the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Defence, Works, Information and National Orientation, Interior, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Housing and Urban Development, State for Health and Social Welfare, and Art, Culture and Creative Economy.

Also named to the committee are the National Security Adviser, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and Other Matters, the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chief of Defence Staff.

The Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office (GSO) will serve as the committee’s Secretariat.

“In honour of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu has also directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to open condolence registers at the entrance of their respective offices for the public to pay their respects,” the statement said.

Furthermore, a central condolence register for the diplomatic community and the general public will be available at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

Former President Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s Head of State between 1984 and 1985 and as a two-term democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023, died in a London clinic following a prolonged illness.

President Tinubu had earlier declared a seven-day national mourning period and ordered that flags fly at half-mast nationwide.

A public holiday has been declared for Tuesday, July 15, as the late President is laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State.