Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has extoled the virtues of late Abba Kyari saying the former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari was not controversial but misunderstood.
Speaking in Abuja during the public presentation of a book titled: ‘The Man Abba Kyari’, written by Engr David Onmeje, the governor, who was represented by his Chief-of-Staff, Professor Isah Hussein said Kyari discharged his duties to President Buhari with dedication and loyalty.
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“Abba Kyari was a typical technocrat. He excelled in all the disciplines or organizations he found himself. He was a people’s person.
“Abba Kyari, some have said, was a controversial person. He was not. He was just doing his job. To be a chief-of-staff you must have certain qualities. Abba had all of those. One of them is dedicated to his job. But most importantly, is loyalty to your boss, and it must be total.
“People tried to get to Mr. President or had their own agenda found that Abba Kyari was always there. They could not bend him. That’s why a lot of people say he was controversial. He was just doing his job.”
Also speaking the event, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) said the late Chief-of-Staff was controversial and misunderstood by many because of his integrity and insistence on the norm.
He said, “Anyone that undertakes the challenge of passing through the road of credibility, honesty, and integrity will end up being the most controversial and misunderstood person, and that is what Mallam Abba Kyari was.
“He passed through that path. And in the course of doing so, you would agree that, one would roughen some edges. That was happening in the course of his life as a private citizen.
“And when he found himself in government, it was rough, in the sense that when he choose to say ‘yes’ to the left and ‘no’ to the right, the chances were that he had a lot of controversies and enemies.
“Mallam Abba, whom I knew closely for 22 years, was someone who does not hold back his views. He was ready to take up a fight when you decide to deviate from the norms. He doesn’t take ‘No’ for an answer.
“The issue with regards to controversy is normal, some of us are into it and will continue to be in it. Some of us are being hated, but we would continue to do what we believe in. That was exactly what Abba did until his death.”
Reviewing the book, Prof. Udenta Udenta, said the book portrayed Kyari’s character and its contradictory assessment by the people.
“The book would open a floodgate of commentaries, and accounting about the life and times of this very complex individual (Abba Kyari),” he said.
The author of the book, David Onmeje described the late Chief-of-Staff as a patriot and committed public servant who was widely respected for his loyalty and commitment to the goals and aspirations of President Buhari.
Recall that Abba Kyari died of COVID-19 complications and was buried at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja in April.
