Kyari fostered mutual respect in governance with uncommon dedication, says Lawan

Masari, Zulum, others mourn ex-presidential aide
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has described the late Mallam Abba Kyari, who passed on at the weekend in Lagos after a battle with the novel coronavirus, as a man who fostered mutual respect and understanding between the legislature and the executive with uncommon loyalty and dedication.

In his tribute to the Borno State indigene, whom he also labelled as a trusted principal aide and Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lawan pointed out that the “patriot died the way he would have preferred, at the very front line of service, sadly seized by a plague against which he was defending his beloved fatherland, Nigeria.”

He went on: Much has been written and much more will appear about a man who was blessed with so much talent and used it to distinguish himself in his many service stations in the public and private sectors, and at different levels of government.

“This tribute is largely about his role in fostering mutual respect and understanding between the legislature and the president he served with uncommon loyalty and dedication as a trusted principal aide and Chief of Staff.

“Mallam Kyari leveraged his office and good standing with his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, to engender a cordial working relationship between the two elected arms. This he did with constructive passion, based on his great administrative skills, consummate understanding of governance and power relations, and eyes firmly fixed on the larger picture of the policy objectives and development agenda of his friend and principal. He did this until his last minute in service.

“A cardinal objective of the ninth National Assembly, which we declared from the outset, is to build a mutual understanding of roles, cooperation and partnership with the other arms of government to enhance performance by government and general public service delivery. How far we have come in this direction with respect to the executive arm has much to do with Mallam Kyari availing his office and person as a communication bridge, out of his own convictions too that effective communication makes issues clearer from all sides of view. This should cause no surprise, as he was a lawyer, a journalist and an administrator par excellence. He quickly saw the point of the federal lawmakers’ objective, and typically deployed his energy and influence to achieve it.”

Besides, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has expressed “profound sadness” over the passage of the former presidential aided.

In a statement by his Director General, Media, Abdu Labaran, the governor said with Kyari’s demise, the nation had lost a great patriot.

Condoling with the president and the immediate family of the deceased, Masari said: “Nigeria has lost one of its finest citizens, whose lifetime was devoted to service of his fatherland.”

Also, his Borno counterpart, Babagana Zulum, has suspended his three-day official engagement in Ngala Local Council of the state where to distribute relief materials to 45,000 households and women to mourn Kyari.

His spokesman, Isa Gusau, who made the disclosure at the weekend in Maiduguri, added that the governor mobilised internally displaced persons (IDPs) to offer prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased that he regarded as “a rock.”

Also to eulogise him was the Shehu of Bama, his local council of origin, Alhaji Kyari Ibrahim El-Kanemi, who said the loss was a huge one to the community.

To the Secretary to the Borno Elders Forum (BOEF), Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, Kyari was humble and incorruptible.

In the words of one of his childhood friends and a retired federal permanent secretary, Ambassador Baba Kura Kaigama, the ex-CoS was a pillar of the society.

According to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a statement by its president, Comrade Danielson Akpan, the later administrator was a pragmatic, honest and loyal leader.

In same fashion, erstwhile National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Senator Ahmad Muhammad Makarfi, regretted the passage in a statement yesterday in Kaduna.

Also mourning the departed yesterday were Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikemnwoli; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello; one-time governor of Plateau State, Fidelis Tapgun; Ondo monarchs; South West All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Ekiti traditional rulers.

The list also included the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Their eulogies were contained in their separate statements issued in Warri, Abuja, Jos, Lagos, Akure and Ado-Ekiti.

The FCT minister conveyed his feelings through his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye.

The Ondo monarchs communicated theirs via the Owa-Ale of Ikare Akoko, Oba Kolapo Adegbite-Adedoyin.

The Zonal APC Publicity Secretary, Karounwi Oladapo, signed for the ruling party while the chairman of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi communicated the mood of the council.

Moreover, the NIMN sent its condolences through a letter signed by the President and Chairman of Council, Tony Agenmonmen, and dispatched to President Buhari.

That of NMA was signed by its president, Dr. Francis Faduyile, while Rev. (Dr.) Samson Ayokunle issued CAN’s in his capacity as the association’s national president.

Also yesterday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) described Kyari’s passage as a big loss to the country’s football family, as he was devoted to the development of the game.

The condolence was contained in a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire.