A year after, Audu’s memory re-echoes through foundation

Kwankwaso calls for sustenance of his legacies
The story of the creation of Kogi State about 25 years ago cannot be completely told by merely glossing over the achievements of its first Governor, late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Audu, who was the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the November 2015 Governorship election still occupy a unique position among leaders that have ruled the State going by his landmark projects that dots the landscape of the confluence State.

Even the incumbent Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who replaced Audu after his demise on November 22, 2015 while he was coasting to victory attested to the fact while conferring on him a posthumous award at the celebration of the 25years anniversary of the creation of the State.

According to the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Edward Onoja, Bello gave the highest leadership award to late Audu based on a unanimous decision that no past Kogi governor had impacted the state in the area of development in the last 25 years as Audu did.

He said besides the award, Bello had earlier named the Kogi State University, the highest tertiary institution in the state, after the late Audu, to honor and immortalize his memory.

The award, he explained was very appropriate as it honours Audu’s political family; pays tribute to the memory late Audu; as well as venerates the good people of Kogi East and Kogi people in general.

Recently during the first year anniversary of his death in his country home Ogbonicha, the first son, Mohammed Abubakar Audu galvanized support for a platform to sustain his father’s legacies, ideals and passion for the development of the state.

At the event, his associates and supporters eulogized the late politician for his strides while at the helm of affairs in the State.

Audu rose to power on the platform of National Republican Convention (NRC) during his first coming in 1991 and later on the platform of the All Peoples Party (APP) in 1999.

The platform, which is “Prince Abubakar Audu Foundation”, was launched to mark the one year commemoration of the demise of the political giant.

Late Audu was at the verge of being declared winner of the election when he died and the election was later declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) triggering off chains of controversies after the first runner up in the primary election, Bello, the current Governor, replaced him.

Speaking at the event, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso commended late Audu for bringing development to the state while in office and called for sustenance of his legacies especially the Kogi State University, Anyigba.

Kwankwaso described the late politician as a passionate and unrepentant believer in qualitative education. “I once had the privilege of asking him what he thinks his best legacy was and he answered, the establishment of Kogi State University.”

He said there was no doubt that if Audu had been alive today; things would have been different in the confluence state.“Even though, we all loved to have Prince Abubakar Audu as our Governor in Kogi, God in His wisdom have decided otherwise and we cannot question His decision.”

A former Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abah described the foundation as timely adding that it is a platform that can be used to sustain Audu’s vision and also to realise his dream for the state.

He described him as a man of taste whose projects are still the only developmental landmarks the State can still showcase to compare favourably with the best across the country.

He called for a synergy among the friends, and well-wishers as well as fellow politicians to ensure that the essence of the foundation is realised for the benefit of all.

Earlier, Audu’s son used the opportunity to inaugurate the Foundation to immortalization his father, stressing that it be a veritable tool for actualizing his father’s dream for the State.

Muhammed who would rather see people put politics aside, argued that service to humanity could still be achieved through the foundation to reach out to the less privileged in terms of scholarship and provision of healthcare delivery and portable water.