Professor Tamunoemi Sokari David-West has gone to the grave beyond.
The Herald gathered that David-West dies at age 83.
He was born in Buguma, Kalabari, in what is now Rivers State.
READ ALSO: Massive promotion as Nigerian Army elevates over 30 generals (Check the list)
The cause of his death has not been disclosed at the time of filling this report.
A consultant virologist, David-West was also a social critic and author. He served as Commissioner of Education in the old Rivers State, and was Minister of Petroleum and Energy under the General Muhammadu Buhari military regime. He also served as Minister of Mines, Power and Steel under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime.
Meanwhile, The Herald earlier reported that David-West defended President Muhammadu Buhari on the various allegations of corruption levelled against his administration.
He also declared that he cannot vouch for retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s integrity and that the former military president is not in the same league with President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of clean leadership.
In an interview with Daily Trust, David-West, a professor of micro-biology who still resides in his house at the University of Ibadan, said he can take an oath on Buhari as a clean man but cannot do the same for Babangida.
Asked to compare the leadership of Babangida and Buhari both of whom he served as oil minister, David-West blurted out: ”Babangida can never be compared as a leader with Buhari. I take responsibility for that statement.
”Buhari and Babangida are two different personalities. Buhari is a clean man. I can take any oath that Buhari is very clean and I won’t die. I cannot do that on Babangida. I cannot vouch for him not because he put me in jail but because that is the fact. Buhari has some good qualities, some positive characteristics that Babangida doesn’t have.
”In terms of governance, Babangida cannot be compared with Buhari in any way. For instance, if you give Buhari a memo at 9am, by 12pm he would call you that he has finished reading it. But if you give the same memo to Babangida, a week and he won’t read it. I have examples. Whatever I say, I take responsibility for and can prove it.