11th February, 2021
By Funmilola Olukomaiya
The remains of veteran journalist and former Minister of Information and Culture, Prince Tony Momoh was today laid to rest.
The internment service which well attended by friends and families of the deceased was held at the Grail Land, Iju Hills, Lagos State.
The funeral service was conducted by the Grail Movement and was preceded by a Grail Funeral Hour of Worship in the Temple of God on Grail land at 4 p.m. after which a procession to the cemetery was quietly done under strict observance of COVID-19 protocols.
Momoh was buried according to the Grail movement’s doctrine, one which didn’t permit the conventional lying-in-state, as the movement believes it is a disrespectful act to the deceased.
The funeral witnessed minimal media presence as the media were not allowed into the temple and the graveside.
Some of the dignitaries present at the event are the former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, Mr Ebenezer Oyetakin, Executive Secretary, Anti-Corruption Network amongst others.
Speaking with newsmen, Mr Abdulrasheed Momoh, one of the children of the deceased, said: “Honestly, he has left a huge gap and I have to emulate him.
“He invested in humans, a father to all and he was there for all. He had a list of people he was giving money to, we saw huge vouchers of these people in a bag.
“He was a rare man, I am happy for having him. I am proud of him.
“I will miss him. He has moved on, he had lived a fulfilled life on earth and moved to the next level. The Almighty has called him for a better job to do,” he said.
On his part, the Deputy Governor of Edo, Mr Philip Shuaibu, said that late Momoh never discriminated between Christians and Moslems, Southerners or Northerners, but stood for the sanctity of the constitution and unity of Nigeria.
He said: “He was an exemplary leader. He believed in the unity of the country and spoke about it a lot. Through his speeches and commentaries, Tony Momoh made his opinion known.
“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.”
Prince Anthony Momoh died on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 at the age of 81.
Momoh who joined the movement in Dec 1974 was given a Grail Funeral in accordance with his wish.