Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan dies aged 80 as Buhari mourn

Former United Nations Secretary-General, Koffi Annan, has died at the age of 80.

His foundation made the announcement in a statement on Saturday morning.

Mr Annan who was also a Nobel Peace Prize winner died in Switzerland after a brief illness.

“It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness,” the statement read in part.

Mr Guterres in a statement said, “Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good.

“In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination,” he added.

Mr Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world’s top diplomat, serving two terms as the UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006.

Buhari Mourns Death Of Former UN Chief Kofi Annan

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday mourned the passing away of former United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

The former UN Chief died at aged 80 on Saturday morning, August 18 in Switzerland, where he was receiving medical care after an illness.

In a statement on Saturday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed that Buhari had called President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana from London.

Buhari told Akufo-Addo that all Nigerians and ECOWAS member countries share in the deep loss, considering the strategic influence of the former scribe in global affairs and his vision for the repositioning of the West Coast and Africa.

The statement reads in part: “As the first elected staff of the United Nations to lead the world organisation and first African to win the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations, the President noted that Annan’s humility, nobility and love for humanity set him apart for global greatness, achieving recognition and commendation for the reform of the United Nations’ bureaucracy and multiple interventions to bring peace to the world.

“President Buhari said Annan’s origin and home will always be traced to Ghana, but his exceptional leadership roles, humanitarian spirit and contributions to global peace and development will remain indelible in the history of the entire world, especially the efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa and launch of the UN Global Compact.

“The President sent condolences to the wife of the diplomat, Nane Maria Annan and his family members, staff of the United Nations and the global organisations he was heading, like The Elders, which was founded by Nelson Mandela.”