Nigeria former minister of foreign affairs, has died in south African hospital after a long battle with illness.
According to Thecable, family source told them that he had been battling with a brain tumor for a while and he had been hospitalized for over three months.
Ashiru, will be remembered for playing a crucial role over diplomatic face off between Nigeria and south African in 2012 over deportation of 125 Nigeria for not possessing valid yellow fever vaccination certificate.
However Nigeria retaliated and the face off was eventually resolved. Ashiru, appointed minister by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, was removed in 2013 in a cabinet reshuffle. He had been one of the most respected ministers but he was said to have been nominated into the cabinet by Obasanjo who had publicly fallen out with Jonathan.
In his word he said “I am leaving foreign ministry as a fulfilled man considering my achievements in just two years,”. He was born on August 27, 1948 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. The product of University of Lagos, was Third Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972, and served as ambassador to the South Korea in 1991. He was Nigeria’s high commissioner to South Africa, with concurrent accreditation to Lesotho and Swaziland, in 2005.
Ejinwa Anthony says
My condolences to the family