A look through the social media on the event of Abba Kyari’s death will reveal divergent views among Nigerians. While some praised him, others mourned him. There are some who actually celebrated his death. A twitter user compared him to Adolf Hitler. A commissioner received the sacked letter for openly celebrating Abba Kyari’s death.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State brazenly sacked his Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Mu’azu Magaji for celebrating the death of late Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. The Kano state Commissioner was said to have taken to his Facebook and twitter accounts to celebrate the death of late Abba Kyari.
Governor Ganduje in a swift reaction through a statement by his Commissioner of Information, Muhammad Garba relieved Kano state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Muazu Magaji of his appointment with immediate effect.
The Governor said, “Late Abba Kyari had led a life worthy of emulation by serving his country to the best of his ability,”
Mr. Magaji had while reacting to Kyari’s death in a Facebook post said Nigeria was now free. He said, Abba Kyari had so much power that he decided the fate of Nigerians. Magaji said, “Win-win. Nigeria is free. You can’t change history. You are who you are, and what you do define who you are dead or alive!
“There is a world of difference between a good person and a good leader. Leadership is an aggregated quality of mass empathy and personal favours. Nigeria is bigger than any individual. While praying for the President’s late support staff. Ours is to prevent a repeat of a non-accountable domineering era. Abba Kyari is no ordinary citizen. He amassed so much power that he decided the fate of my nation and its people. Hence the death is never a personal thing.” he added. The Commissioner paid dearly for his reckless statements when he received the sack notice. A testimony to the fact that Abba Kyari is still powerful even in death.
Abba Kyari was the trusted friend of President Mohammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff. He died from complications related to Covid-19 after a nearly month-long battle with the virus. Kyari had widely been seen as one of the three most powerful people in Nigeria and said to have the complete trust of President Buhari. Some had even described him as the defacto Head of the Government.
Although he held so much power and influence, he was not keen on political limelight. Reports reveal that an average Nigerian does not know his name although they are familiar with names like Bola Tinubu, Lai Moahmed, Moahmed Buhari, Nasir Elrufai and others.
There are few official public photographs of him and even his official age was not readily available in the early obituaries, though a tweet on from President Buhari confirmed he was 67.
Kyari contracted this virus while on an official assignment. Alongside Sale Mamman, minister of power, he had attended a meeting in Germany with officials of Siemens to discuss issues relating to the Nigerian power sector. After returning from the trip he had himself tested – though he showed no symptoms. This shows responsibility on the path of the chief of staff at a time when some members of the elite have willed to be irresponsible.
A memo Kyari wrote to the leadership of the National Assembly on how federal lawmakers returning from abroad were evading screening had gone viral earlier. It was reported that 35 senators had not complied with the procedure to determine their coronavirus status.
Kyari, who graduated from Cambridge and Warwick universities in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s, was often described as an intellectual by those who dealt with him.
In a chat with Felix Ademola, a young APC politician based in Igbesa, Ogun state, he said, ‘It is an irony to many that the man played against the expectation of Nigerians. The expectation is that the highly educated people must come from Southern Nigeria. Not many expected the weight of Abba Kyari’s academic credentials.
‘’The kind of education that the President himself cannot compete with, no wonder he drew him close, the education that Mohamadu Buhari does not have. Abba Kyari had them. He supported his friend with his intellectual prowess. He was the pillar behind Mohamadu Buhari, his personal adviser. No wonder many hated him, purely out of political envy.’’
Reports say, Kyari’s passing is a major blow to the Buhari presidency. It leaves a gaping hole in the administration as it juggles responding to a coronavirus outbreak—which is likely to tip Nigeria’s economy into its worst recession in 30 years according to the IMF and insecurity caused by Boko Haram insurgency that has the military stretched. Kyari’s passing may force President Buhari into a quick shake-up of his cabinet.
Kyari was one of several high profile political figures in Nigeria to have contracted the virus. The state governors of Bauchi (Bala Mohammed) and Oyo (Seyi Makinde) both contracted the virus in March and have recovered. The Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai.
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Kyari was born on September 23RD 1952, to a Kanuri family from Borno. He was educated in St. Paul’s College in Wusasa. In 1976, he met General Muhammadu Buhari who was then Governor of Borno State. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Warwick in 1980, and also obtained a law degree from the University of Cambridge. Kyari was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983 after attending the Nigerian Law School.
In 1984, he obtained a Master's degree in law from the University of Cambridge. He later attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, and in 1992 and 1994 participated in the Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development. Kyari worked as a lawyer for some time after his return to Nigeria.
From 1988 to 1990, he was Editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna. He also served as a Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State in 1990s. From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was the secretary to the board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International. Kyari was an Executive Director in charge of management services at the United Bank for Africa, and was later appointed the chief executive officer. In 2002, he was appointed a board director of Unilever Nigeria, and later served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria.
In August 2015, Kyari was appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. Kyari was an influential figure within the Buhari administration. During the administration's first term, he worked mainly behind the scenes to implement the president's agenda. In 2019 with Buhari's re-election for a second term, he ordered his cabinet to channel all requests through Kyari's office. Further enhancing his influence within government circles, and being labelled as the de facto head of government. In 2017, following a leaked memo, Kyari became embroiled in a public argument with the Head of Civil Service, who was later removed from office and arrested. In 2020, in another leaked memo, Babagana Monguno the National Security Adviser accused Kyari of meddling in matters of national security.
Kyari was married to the sister-in-law of Ibrahim Tahir, and had four children. On 24 March 2020, it was made public that Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23, following an official trip to Germany nine days before.
There were reports that he had been flown out of the country for treatment and Reuters later reported he had "a history of medical complications, including diabetes". On 29 March 2020, in an official statement, Kyari announced he was being moved from isolation in Abuja to Lagos for "preventive treatment” Kyari died on the evening of April 17TH 2020 at age 67.
President Mohamadu Buahri who spoke about him said, ‘’Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on 17th April, 2020, at the age of 67 from complications caused by the Coronavirus, was a true Nigerian patriot. My loyal friend and compatriot for the last 42 years – and my Chief-of-Staff – he never wavered in his commitment to the betterment of every one of us.
‘’He was only in his twenties when we first met. A diligent student, soon after he was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad – first at Warwick and then law at the University of Cambridge. But there was never any question Abba would bring his first-rate skills and newly acquired world-class knowledge back to Nigeria – which he did –
‘’immediately upon graduation. Whilst possessing the sharpest legal and organizational mind, Abba’s true focus was always the development of infrastructure and the assurance of security for the people of this nation he served so faithfully. For he knew that without both in tandem there can never be the development of the respectful society and vibrant economy that all Nigerian citizens deserve.’’
In political life, Abba never sought elective office for himself. Rather, he set himself against the view and conduct of two generations of Nigeria’s political establishment – who saw corruption as an entitlement and its practice a byproduct of possessing political office. Becoming my Chief of Staff in 2015, he strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement my agenda.’
’ The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello in is own assessment of the man said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari was a ‘cabal’ in this present administration.’’
According to Bello, the late Kyari stepped on toes while discharging his duties in the interest of President Buhari and Nigeria. The Governor noted that Kyari sacrificed it all to ensure that Nigeria had the much modest achievement that it had today, adding that he took a lot of bullets and responsibility for that. Asked if the late Kyari was a cabal in President Buhari’s presidency considering how influential he was in the cabinet, Bello said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics: “Like you know and that of us in authority, loyalty is number one. “Secondly, your ability and character to discharge the duties and responsibilities discharged on you is one other thing. “Mallam Abba Kyari was very loyal to Mr. President, very diligent, a professional par excellence, and he is very passionate about the progress and development of Nigeria, not only to our party the APC but Nigeria in general.
“Such a person, if he’s carrying out his duties and responsibilities, surely there is no way you will not step on toes one way or the other to ensure that the job is done. “So if he stepped on a toe in one way or the other, it is just to ensure that he serves Mr. President diligently, that he did so well. “He took a lot of bullets and responsibility for that. So there is no regret and no apology to that effect. “In due course, we are going to miss this great Nigerian who sacrificed it all to ensure that we have the much modest achievement that we have today, so if you say cabal, in one way or the other yes. “You will have one or two persons that are loyal to you who’re ready to dare the devil and ensure that the job is done. So if you call it a cabal, it depends on the angle you are looking at it from.”
Additional Sources: Channels Television, Wikipedia
