By Meletus EZE
The Nigerian Missions in the United States have opened Condolence Registers in honour of late former President Shehu Shagari.
Shagari died on Dec. 28, 2018, at the age of 93, and the Federal Government of Nigeria declared a three-day mourning period with effect from Dec. 30, 2018.
The condolence registers were opened at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., and the Consulates-General in New York and Atlanta for members of the public wishing to register their condolences.
The registers were opened on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at the Embassy in Washington D.C., and the Consulate in New York till Friday, Jan. 4.
Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy, Amb. Hassan Gambo, said on Tuesday that the Embassy had written to the U.S. Department of State to inform the U.S. Government about Shagari’s death.
“The U.S. Department of State will then send the information to the other embassies in the country about the death of the former president,’’ Gambo said.
According to him, ambassadors to the U.S. are also expected to sign the condolence registers on behalf of their Governments.
The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Ben Okoyen said that the condolence register was also opened to members of the public.
Okoyen said members of the public had been coming to register their condolences to Nigeria over the loss of its former president.
The condolence register for Shagari would open at the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 2, to Friday, Jan. 4, from 11:30 a.m to 3:00 p.m.
The Acting Consul-General of Nigeria in Atlanta, Mr Innocent Iwejuo, announced in a statement.
Shagari was the first democratically elected president of Nigeria.
He served as president from Oct. 1, 1979 to Dec. 31, 1983.
