PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to organise a befitting state burial for former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday, July 13, in a London hospital.
The committee, which will be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, is tasked with the planning and coordination of funeral rites in honour of the late former leader.
In a press statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the SGF’s office, Segun Imohiosen, President Tinubu emphasised the importance of honouring Buhari’s legacy with dignity and national recognition.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee includes senior government officials and heads of security and defence institutions. Members include:
Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning
Honourable Minister of Defence
Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation
Honourable Minister of Works
Honourable Minister of Interior
Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare
Honourable Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy
National Security Adviser
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and Other Matters
Inspector General of Police
Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS)
Chief of Defence Staff
The General Services Office (GSO) under the Office of the SGF will serve as the Secretariat to the Committee.
As part of the national mourning activities, President Tinubu has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to open condolence registers at the entrances of their offices, enabling members of the public to pay their last respects to the late elder statesman.
In addition, a central condolence register for the diplomatic corps and general public will be opened at two locations in Abuja, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
Further announcements and updates on the funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course, according to the SGF’s office.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, served as Nigeria’s democratically elected leader from 2015 to 2023, and previously ruled as a military Head of State from 1983 to 1985.
His death marks the end of an era in Nigeria’s political and military history.
