Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has saidthat the late former Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, was a hugelyrespected figure on the continent because of his zeal, passion and selflesscommitment to the emancipation of his country men and women and theself-realization of other black people elsewhere. Osinbajo, according to a statementissued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande,stated this on arrival in Harare for the funeral of the man who ruled theSouthern African nation for 37 years. Osinbajo who is representing Nigeria at Mugabe’s funeral,later told Zimbabwean journalists who approached him at the airport that Mugabewas not only a great encouragement to the independent movements everywhere butmore to the self-realisation for black people practically everywhere. The vice president said the work thatwas done, not just by the frontline states, but by the likes of Nelson Mandelain South Africa and so many other African patriots; gave, especiallysub-Saharan African countries to become frontline state.