Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, as a unifying force for the nation.

He declared that his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot be forgotten in a hurry.

Obasanjo, in a condolence letter to Mrs Margaret Shonekan, said the business mogul was “a role model and an epitome of the good in the nation’s business firmament of mixed blessings.

A copy of the letter was made available to reporters in Abeokuta on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

According to the elder statesman, Shonekan will be remembered as a man of sustained strong will to succeed.

He stated that as the Interim National Government in Nigeria in1993, Shonekan rendered outstanding service to the country, and the people would never forget that.

Obasanjo also commended the former Nigerian leader for the various national assignments executed years after he left office, including his roles as Special Envoy on the Implementation of the Abuja Agreement on Zimbabwe in 2001, and Chairman of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in 2008, saying he was forthright, dedicated and showed great patriotism in the discharge of his duties.

He added that Shonekan was a unifying force for the nation, saying in all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility. (Channels TV)