The remains of former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, were interred at the Grailland, Iju, Lagos, on Thursday.
He died on February 1. He was 81.
Conducted by the Grail Movement Nigeria, the interment was preceded by a Grail funeral at the Temple Grailland around 4 p.m.
Devoid of the conventional lying-in-state, the short ceremony ended at 4:33 p.m.
It was followed by a long procession to the cemetery for burial.
Family members, guests led by Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu, and Grail Movement members were given a flower each to place inside the cemetery as they paid their last respects to the veteran journalist.
Afterwards, friends and well-wishers took time to condole with the family at the places reserved for low-key entertainment.
The first son of the deceased, Mr AbdulRasheed Momoh, described his dad as a rare gem.
AbdulRasheed, a stockbroker, said his father lived a simple life and touched many lives.
“He invested mostly in humanity. He left a large vacuum in the Momoh family, the nation and even internationally. He was a great man.
“I wouldn’t say he is dead; I would just say he has moved on to the next level as a great man and I am proud to say I am his son,” he said.
The late Momoh’s in-law, Tafa Aliu, described him as a magician “in the sense that whenever he tells you anything, believe it or not, that thing is going to happen”.
He added: “You can even see what happened today. When last did you see rainfall in Lagos? The rain fell at his burial.
“Before the burial, the rain fell and everybody was wondering what was going to happen. We got in the hall and we when came out, there was no rain.
“So, that’s what human beings referred to as the shower of blessings in the real sense of it.”
Aliu, the Vice Chairman of Ikoyi Club, said the late Momoh never related with him like an in-law.
“He was like a father to me and everybody. He was not just a good person; he was a man who has a very large heart. He doesn’t quarrel.
“It was from him that I learnt one very important thing – never you listen to one side of a story, always listen to both sides.
“If you listen to both sides of a story you will be able to make concrete facts and decision,” he said.
Shuaibu described the late Momoh as an exemplary leader who believed in the unity of the country.
“He didn’t care about what people say but about what unites us. We should do things that unite us.
“He was a man that believed in the sanctity of our constitution and unity of our country,” he said.
According to him, late Momoh never discriminated between Christians and Muslims, Southerners or Northerners, but stood for the sanctity of the Constitution and unity of Nigeria.
