By Abiola Olawale
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock over the death of former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sen. Jubril Martins-Kuye, who passed on at 78, Sunday.
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari condoled with Martins-Kuye’s family and associates, including the Ago Iwoye community, government and people of Ogun State over the passing of the legislator in the Third Republic, who served in the Fourth Republic as Minister of State, Finance, and Minister of Commerce and Industry, bringing with him many years of experience from the banking sector.
The President expressed believe that Martins-Kuye will be sorely missed for his insight on issues of development, particularly in tailoring budgets that reflect needs of the people, with his emphasis on full implementation.
President Buhari prayed that the soul of the former minister will rest in peace.
Earlier, while reacting to the demise of his father, Bolaji Martins-Kuye, the son of the eminent politician said it was a great loss for him and his family. He said, “It was a painful loss to us, but we give glory to God for the impactful life that he lived while he was alive because he touched the lives of many people.”
The Ogun State branch of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has released a statement signed by its Chairman, Sikirulai Ogundele to mourn the passage of the top politician.
The statement reads, ” We are comforted by the hard facts that our dear leader has lived a life worthy of quality service to his immediate community, Ogun State and Nigeria as Federal Minister on two occasions. This is undoubtedly a huge loss for the entire political class both in Ogun State and the nation at large. The party sends warm and sooting words of condolence to the Kuye family, all the party men, the people of Ogun State and the their associates across the country. We pray that Almighty Allah, in His infinite mercy, will accept the soul of the former statesman and give the family and the nation the courage to endure this loss.”
The All Progressive Congress(APC) chapter of Ogun State has also expressed deep sadness following the death of Martins-Kuye.
In a statement on Sunday by Tunde Oladunjoye, the Publicity Secretary of Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, the party said: “Jubril Martins-Kuye was an uncommon bridge builder, Patriot and a very humane, courteous and humble politician whose model was politics without bitterness. Either as a federal Minister and Senator of the Federal Republic, PA Martin’s Kuye gave a very good account of himself as an accessible community leader, grassroots mobilizer, moulder of people and builder of bridges.”
Ramoni Olalekan Mustapha, Ogun East representative at the 9th Nigerian National Assembly described the news of the elder statesman as shocking. Mustapha said the late politician was as a mentor and a pathfinder to him.
Also, Sarafa Tunji Ishola released a tribute in honor of Martins-Kuye. The tribute read: “JMK is an engima that is worthy of study in the contemporary politics and communal development in Nigeria. He is a consensus builder in politics and community service particularly in conflict areas. He promotes equity, justice and fairness in his dealings with followers and associates.”
It would be recalled that Martins-Kuye, 78, was a Nigerian politician. He was born in Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu constituency of Ogun State. He graduated from the department of Sociology, in 1968, at the University of Ibadan (UI). He then went on to study Economics at the Harvard University Business School and graduated in 1983.
Martins-Kuye started his politics career in the Social Democratic Party(SDP). He became a senator of the Nigerian Third republic in 1993. He contested in the Ogun State gubernatorial election of 1999 under the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), but didn’t win.
He was later appointed as the Minister of State for Finance in June 1999 by the administration of the then President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo. He held the position until 2003.
Martins-Kuye later became the Minister of Commerce and Industry in 2010, under the administration of the then acting President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan.
