When a gentleman-president died

In 1975–1976, the university graduate worked at Holy Child College, Lagos. And between 1976 and 1979, he was a lecturer at the College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State. He moved to the corporate sector in 1983. He was pioneer General Manager at Sambo Farms Ltd., Funtua, Katsina State between 1983 and 1989. He was a Board Member, Katsina State Farmers’ Supply Company between 1984 and 1985. Between 1978 and 1983, he was a member, Governing Council of Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria and Katsina Polytechnic. Between 1994 and 1996, he was Board Chairman, Katsina State Investment and Property Development Company (KIPDECO). He was also a director in several companies.  Yar’adua’s political career began as a member of the People’s Redemption Party, a left-leaning political grouping, during the Second Republic (1979–1983), at a time his father was, for a time, the National Vice chairman of the rightist National Party of Nigeria.

The socialist was a foundation member of the Peoples Front, a political association led by Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’adua, his elder brother, during the transition programme of General Ibrahim Babangida. He was also a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly and later, a member of the Social Democratic Party. He was a member of the party’s national caucus and its state secretary in Katsina. He contested the 1991 governorship election under the party but lost to Saidu Barda of the National Republican Convention. He contested again and won the gubernatorial election in 1999. He was re-elected in 2003. He won the presidential election in 2007 and was sworn-in as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2007. Yar’adua married his wife, Turai Umaru Yar’adua in 1975 and they are blessed with five daughters and two sons. His second wife, Hauwa Umar Radda (1992 to 1997) has two children for him. Now the gentleman president is gone as a result of illness. Yet many things spoke up in his favour even in death.

When the late Yar’adua stood at the Eagle Square, Abuja this month, three years ago, he had said in his inaugural address, “We acknowledge that our elections were not perfect and had lapses and shortcomings…I also believe that our experiences represent an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.” It was to his credit that he admitted that much. And it was the mistakes he wanted to correct when he later set up the Justice Mohammed Uwais’ Committee on electoral reforms. The committee made its recommendation, parts of which the National Executive Council sent to the National Assembly for necessary action. The president took active steps to stem the tide of chaos in the Niger Delta crisis, and his Amnesty remains till date, the working framework for solution to problems in that oil-rich region of the country.

He gained public confidence when he became the first Head of State to publicly declare his personal assets when he took office. And he was the first governor to publicly declare his assets too, way back as the governor of Katsina State. There is no doubt that the nation has lost a leader who stood for the rule of law. And this was a bold statement on the fact that he understood power. It couldn’t have been otherwise. He was from an aristocratic family with a long line of administrators and the fully-trained Nigerian university graduate to become the leader of the nation. Yar’adua allowed the law and state institutions to follow their course. There are issues the late president left behind to be resolved. But there are lessons he left behind too. Many in the nation’s leadership who often take power to mean an end in itself need to emulate some of his approaches to the rule of law and governance in general. Now President Goodluck Jonathan, has been sworn into office as substantive President. He will have to continue with state administration from now into tomorrow, concentrating on tackling major issues that bother people’s minds. For today, however, a gentleman-president who had contributed to national development the way he knew, is dead; it is fitting that the nation mourns his passage.

Ajibade lives in Abuja, [email protected]