Tribute to
Late Mallam Abba Kyari
Chief of Staff to the President
By
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State
Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum
Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State | Saturday, April 18, 2020
The passing of Mallam Abba Kyari, who was until his demise the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, came as a shock as we had all been hoping and praying for his recovery. Alas, this was not to be!
I have known Mallam Kyari for close to a decade, and in this time I have been privileged to develop a close relationship with him in the course of politics and governance and because of the passion we share for books. He was a very close friend and ally of our president, and had many friends amongst the political elite, but he was not quite a politician. Infact, he often exhibited disdain for machine politicians – those he felt were in politics for crass opportunism and not selfless service. He understood leadership not necessarily as political office holding or grandiose title but as capacity to speak truth to power and ability to do the right thing even when no one was watching.
What many people know of the dear departed are aspects of his latter years serving as undoubtedly one of the most influential persons in this administration. What many don’t know is that the reach of his influence in the affairs of this country was built on a track record of scant regard for tribe and tongue, diligence, integrity, and professionalism, spanning many decades in the private and public s ectors. He had friends from all over Nigeria and the globe and counted as friends many who did not share his love for and commitment to President Buhari.
After a short period of practice as a lawyer, and some time in the media as an Editor, he went on to serve in various capacities in the financial services sector, rising to become the Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). He was a former commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno state, and also former board director of Unilever Nigeria and Exxon Mobil Nigeria.
His prolific professional background meant that he brought to the presidency proven capacity and the key connections to get things done. He was a man of prodigious intellect who had no other life than service to his Principal and the country. He was of the breed of conservative professionals who were of few words and ever self-effacing, often taking the heat for any perceived missteps of the Buhari administration, and was greatly misunderstood by many. But Mallam didn’t care much about shaping favourable narratives about his person; all he ever cared about was loyally doing the bidding of his principal, and what he considered to be in the best interest of our great country. He took many knocks on behalf of his principal and the administration, and seldom got any credit. I am however sure that posterity would be kind to him and his legacy of service to the country.
The COVID 19 pandemic has sadly claimed the lives of a number of Nigerians, including our dear Mallam Abba Kyari. It is indeed a great leveller and very random in its selection of victims. But we know that above all things, regardless of the circumstances, it is only God who determines when any person’s sojourn on this side of eternity is up. Who are we to question Him? This should however drive home the severity of the situation we are contending with, and how important it is that we trust authorities at all levels, and comply with all directives made in good faith aimed at keeping us safe, and minimising the impact of the pandemic on our lives and circumstances. These are difficult times but would soon pass by God’s grace.
On behalf of the government and people of Ekiti State, I offer profound condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Kyari family, and all those who held him dear. It is with a deep sense of loss, but with total submission to the will of God that I bid farewell to a dear senior friend, patriot, and Officer of the Order of the Niger. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State
Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum
Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State | Saturday, April 18