Nigerians have continued to react to the death of the Chief of Statf to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari who has since been buried in Abuja.
Most of those spoken to are of the opinion that the demise of Kyari has not only created a big vacuum but has thrown the entire presidency into a difficult state as choosing someone of his calibre is would be difficult to come by.
Speaking to the Next Edition in his Makurdi residence, a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Abubakar Tsav said “the death of Mallam Abba Kyari is sad and tragic.”
Tsav who said no condition in life is permanent, said his absence would be felt for a while adding though that the presidency would definitely find a replacement.
“I don’t know if the names people called him while he was on seat were true. I heard people say he was very powerful on that seat, some said he took over the powers and duties of the president and others
said he even blocked their chances from getting to the president but no situation is permanent and now that he is not there, they might find someone who may be better than him, someone who will be
accessible to everyone.”
He however lampooned the federal government over the poor state of government hospitals in the country saying “This unfortunate incident just confirms our inadequacy in our health delivery care system.
“Perhaps if we had well equipped hospitals with modern facilities, the illness should have been efficiently managed.
“Unfortunately foreign hospitals which our leaders often patronize are now no-go-places.
“The unfortunate death of Mallam Abba Kyari is a warning and wakeup call on our government and leaders to improve our hospitals with modern equipment and facilities including qualified medical staff.
“For now, we have not started.
“We expected that a man of that calibre will get the best treatment here. If that thing had not ravaged the foreign countries, I’m sure he would have gone there. I pray that our leaders would wake up to their
responsibilities and equip our hospitals especially the teaching hospitals which have been converted to mere consultation centres, things will be okay.”
Tsav who expressed his sincere condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari, his Government and the family of the deceased, prayed God to grant the late Abba Kyari eternal rest.
Also speaking, a social commentator, Mr. Austin Onuoha described his death as sad saying a big vacuum has been created as the president has lost a relative as well as a close and trusted confidant.
“The perception is that Abba Kyari was the most powerful person in the presidency and quite a couple of people at the presidency resent that because they felt he was neither elected nor confirmed by the national Assembly, that he was just an aide. An example of that resentment is
a memo written by the National Security Adviser saying that Abba Kyari interferes with security architecture even when he was not security personnel.
“Mr. President gave the impression that he was the most powerful person, secondly, he was wielding that power against the health challenge of the president, meaning he was a defacto president. If that is the situation, it means a vacuum has been created.
“Give it to him, he was also very experienced in the banking industry, he was a seasoned administrator, there has not been any corruption scandal against him, which means, to a large extent, he was a person that can be trusted.
“What was his role in fighting corruption, revamping the economy and in security? Going by the leaked memo of the security adviser, he was interfering with security arrangements in the North East. Now, we are not privy to the facts to determine if the interference was for good or for bad. But based on that memo, it means they were not happy with it.
“Recall that Abba Kyari was on a foreign trip when he contacted the Coronavirus and allegedly, he was on an economic mission. This means that he was also playing a role in and around the economic agenda of
the president.
“His office also played a role in the social intervention programme which is now renamed palliatives because of the Coronavirus. What this means is that he was involved in all aspect of President Buhari’s administration and if he was involved, the issue is, can you get a replacement that the president can trust so much to play the roles again.”
Onuoha who made the above observations concluded that getting a replacement that the president will trust, that has Abba Kyari’s experience and influence will be an issue.
READ ALSO: Abba Kyari’s Death: Obasanjo Expresses Sadness, Comforts Buhari
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Iyorwuese Hagher, in his tribute tagged “A Midnight For Abba Kyari And Midnight Hour For Nigeria”, expressed shock at the news of the demise of Abba Kyari and some reactions coming from some Nigerians saying “I woke up this morning from my shelter-in-place in the US with two bad news. I heard the bad news that the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Alhaji Abba Kyari is dead. The terse announcement I read from the Presidency said he died from Coronavirus.
“Death by Covid-19 is a horrible death. Covid-19 kills you far away from your loved ones. They are prevented from holding your hands and listening to your last wishes and wiping the sweat of agony from your face. And nobody is to touch your corpse or breathe near it for fear of contagion. Death from coronavirus is brutal, wicked, violent and lonely. It is not the kind of death to wish on our worst enemies.
“The second bad news that grabbed me is the senseless gloating over the demise of one of us for whom the bell has tolled by some Nigerians. Yes Abba Kyari is dead and if in life he was odious, wicked, malicious and had usurped our prerogatives; how does his dying ennoble the chaffers, scoffers and gloaters? This wickedness has crept over us and seems now to define who we are. We grovel, prostrate, and worship those who have mere passing power while secretly, we wish they were dead or incarcerated. And when they die of illness which we had no control over, we let loose and dance and clap.”
Hagher recalled that “this was how Nigerians worshipped Abacha, and groveled before Yar Adua and those others who occupy temporary power now, and when those leaders died we cavorted and danced toasting palm wine, champagne and what else.”
While condemning such behaviours, Mr. Hagher expressed deep sympathy to Abba Kyari’s family and to President Buhari for losing a most trusted relative and confidant of many years’ saying, “Mr. President, I feel your pains and sorrow with you at this loss. I did not know Abba Kyari well. I knew mostly that he was hated. This hatred was visceral in some people. But I also know that the next chief of staff will also be hated. Hatred comes with the job description of the office he occupied. If you are chief of staff to the president or a governor and do not want to be hated, then you do not know your job.
“My perception of Kyari is that he was a brilliant mind who understood the nuances of power and welded power with ruthless efficiency according to the doctrines of President Buhari. But this does not matter now. Abba Kyari is best left with his maker who will give him a just recompense for his service on earth. May God be merciful,” he said.
Hagher in his writing further noted that “Yes it is mid-night, so we bid Abba Kyari a long midnight that shall see no dawn. But his mid-night bell is also timeously tolling for Nigeria because this is our midnight hour. We have wasted and plundered our country. We have refused to give our nation a vision for the midnight that passes on to dawn. We have built a country where inequality grows every day. We disdain the poor hapless citizens that prostrate and worship us the elite. We are pitiless thieves who see politics merely as the cash cow for more unearned wealth.
The former ambassador who noted that the pandemic shall surely end cautioned that those who would be left behind “can only survive if they are prepared to throw away the masks of tribalism, corruption, insincerity, arrogance and inhumanity we have masked ourselves with as we hold the destiny of Nigerians in our hands.
“Let us be plain, deal honestly with love and compassion with each other. Living is a matter of life and death. I sympathize with Mr. President on the death of his chief of staff and stand with him and all Nigerians to declare that at the stroke of midnight when the world is dreaming of change Nigerians should wake from slumber, unite and save the country.
Among other suggestions, Mr. Hagher called on intellectuals, the military, Christians, Moslems, Animists, herdsmen and farmers, politicians, and the people “to all arise to embrace our Nigerianess without shame and obliterate our petty divisions. We should uproot those that seek to enslave us and no longer take dictations from those who have fashioned their worlds to suit them. We will unfurl and uplift our banner with pride and stand firm, solemn and proud while the second hand is slowly ticking to midnight.”