Yakowa buried amid tributes

AMID tributes and admonition that statesmen and politicians should promote issues that would build the nation, the late Governor Patrick Yakowa was buried in Kaduna State Thursday.

President Goodluck Jonathan specifically urged that leaders should foster issues that unite   Nigeria as demonstrated by Yakowa when he was alive.

Jonathan fumed at the utterances of some elder statesmen and others in leadership positions expected to live by example in their political activities, saying that it was more befitting and patriotic to join hands on issues of nation-building instead of promoting destructive political tendencies.

At the burial service held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Jonathan eulogised Yakowa, describing him as a “bridge builder who loved his people irrespective of their religion and tribe.

“Yakowa was a nationalist. He played his roles very well as a civil servant of the old not as a civil servant of today when a director has more houses than Dangote. No ethnic or religious divide in his blood.”

Noting that government would not abandon the family of the late governor, the President pledged the continued support of the government for the immediate family of Yakowa.

Jonathan further appealed to political leaders to guard their utterances in public and private on all those issues that could divide and destroy the nation, and further set democracy backward.

He said: “The utterances and words of elders are just like winds and waves that move, gather momentum and cause destructive effects of which the end results of such destruction cannot be predicted. Responses of our young men and women are reflections of what the elders talk in public and even in private.”

In an address, Kaduna Governor Mukhtar Ramallan Yero spoke on his relationship with Yakowa, saying that the late governor’s relationship with both Christians and Muslims was excellent.

He said that Yakowa also pursued the broad issues of development “with single-minded determination,” adding that “the fruits of his labour had started manifesting before the cold hands of death took his life, in the most tragic manner, the reality of which I am yet to come to terms with.”

“My late boss, Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, exhibited uncommon leadership qualities. He was an embodiment of patience, simplicity, patriotism, peace, commitment to duty, thoroughness, honesty, nationalism, team player, experience in public service and a host of other sterling qualities that time and space will not permit me to mention,” Yero said.

Yero continued: “Painful as the demise of my boss is, I am consoled by the fact that we had an opportunity to reconcile our differences on a number of issues, some of which personal, before he passed on.”

On the achievements of the late Yakowa in pursuing road projects, Yero remarked: “In order to open up the state to enhance socio-economic activities, the late Governor Yakowa was executing ongoing road projects worth about N13.8 billion.”

He said that “this is in addition to 31 newly awarded road contracts spread across the three

geo-political zones of the state worth over N28 billion .”

“The Fourth Kaduna Bridge was designed to ameliorate the difficulties of our citizens who live in the Southern part of the city and have to cross the bridge to the Northern part on daily basis. This bridge and its road approaches gulfed the sum of N6 billion and because of the passion he had for the new road project and the need to immortalise him, I have decided to name the road after him.”

Yero also spoke on the ground-breaking successes of the former governor in the areas of health, housing rural electrification,

education and other sectors, stressing that “I have taken time to list a few out of the numerous achievements of my leader so that all of us will be consoled by the fact that he did not die in vain.”

He added: “In spite of the security challenges he faced, he was able to achieve so much within the short time he served as governor. It is remarkable to note that the Izalatu Islamic sect cancelled their annual conference in Kaduna which commencement date coincided with the death of our leader in recognition and appreciation of his immense contributions to peaceful co-existence. Similarly, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the Congress for Progressive Change, Presidential Candidate in the April 2011 election cancelled his birthday lecture in honour of our late governor.

“It is, therefore, significant to note that his death has brought the people of Kaduna State together irrespective of religious and tribal persuasion. While we mourn the painful loss, we should strive to keep alive his aspiration of uniting the people of the state into a formidable force for development. This is the only way we can remember him.”

Earlier in his message, Bishop Matthew Kukah, said no one could teach God knowledge nor question his decisions; therefore people should not feel despondent over the death of Yakowa.

He explained that Yakowa died at his appointed time by God and urged the people to ignore those who were wielding suspicious stories about his death.

Kukah debunked the purported claim that adherents of a religion  in the state were rejoicing over the death of Yakowa, saying that  the late governor broke the jinx by becoming the first Christian executive governor of Kaduna.

According to him, the feat had seemed unattainable in the state because of certain people who were playing politics of exclusion based on religion.

Kukah said further that the achievements of Yakowa as governor, particularly in development and in building bridges of unity, were testimonies to the fact that governance was not an exclusive right of a group.

Kukah advised Yero, to ignore the parochial opinion of some people who were still advocating politics of exclusion in the state, while saying “do not be tempted by what the wicked people claimed that the Muslims have taken back what belong to them.

“The politics of exclusion should be reversed for a creation of a just and even society. This is what South Africa and America had realised and done. We must seek men and women of integrity for position of authority as opposed to religious sentimentality. We must rise up to build a united Nigeria.”

John Cardinal Onaiyekan was assisted by other clerics  at the  Requiem and the Eucharist Mass.

Among the dignitaries at the burial were, former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, the Senate President, David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The Chairman of Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and his wife Judith, Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Gabriel Suswam of Benue and Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo were also in attendance.