We Mourn President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua: 1951 - 2010
As we mourn President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and regret the sad news of his death, we welcome President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and wish him all the best in his Presidency. President Yar'Adua will be buried at 2'PM in Katsina State today, Thursday May 6, 2010. Also, today has been declared public holiday for Nigerians to mourn this loss.
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was born in Katsina, Katsina State in 1951. He started his primary education at Rafukka Primary School, Katsina in 1958. He left Rafukka for Dutsinma Boarding Primary School in 1962 from where he completed his primary education in 1964. Between 1965-1969, he had his secondary education at Government College, Keffi in present-day Nasarawa State. He then moved to the famous Barewa College Zaria for his Higher School Certificate between 1970 and 1971. For his university education, Yar'adua attended the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria from 1972-1975 where he obtained the B.Sc Education/Chemistry. He returned to the same University from 1978-1980 for his M.Sc Degree in Analytical Chemistry.
Umaru Yar'adua's working career began at the Holy Child College, Lagos for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) between 1975 and 1976. He was a Lecturer at the Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria between 1976 and 1979. He moved to Katsina Polytechnic, also as a Lecturer in 1979 and was there until 1983 when he left the public service. Yar'adua's movement to the private sector started at Sambo Farms Ltd in Funtua, Katsina State as its pioneer General Manager between 1983-1989. He served as a Board Member, Katsina State Farmers' Supply Company between 1984-1985, Member Governing Council of both Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology Zaria and Katsina Polytechnic between 1978-1983, Board Chairman of Katsina State Investment and Property Development Company (KIPDECO) between 1994-1996.
He served as a Director of many companies, including Habib Nigeria Bank Ltd. 1995-1999; Lodigiani Nigeria Ltd. 1987-1999, Hamada Holdings, 1983-1999; and Madara Ltd. Vom, Jos, 1987-1999. He was Chairman, Nation House Press Ltd, Kaduna between 1995-1999. Yar'adua's foray into party politics began as a Lecturer when he became an active member and mobilizer for the defunct Peoples' Redemption Party (PRP). During the Transition Programme of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Yar'adua was one of the foundation members of the Peoples' Front, a political association under the leadership of his elder brother, the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar'adua. That association later fused to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Yar'adua was a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly. He was a member of the party's National Caucus and the SDP State Secretary in Katsina and contested the 1991 Governorship election, but lost to the candidate of the National Republican Convention. At the inception of General Abdulsalam Abubakar's transition in 1998, Yar'adua founded the K34 political association which later became the core of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He contested and won election as Governor of Katsina State in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003.
Yar'adua was best remembered as the first Governor to publicly declare his assets and had promised to do same again at the end of his tenure. In the presidential election, held on 21 April 2007, Yar'Adua won with 70% of the vote according to official results released on 23 April. The election was highly controversial. Strongly criticized by observers, as well as the two primary opposition candidates, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC), its results were largely rejected as having been rigged in Yar'Adua's favor. After the election, Yar'Adua proposed a government of national unity. In late June 2007, two opposition parties, the ANPP and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), agreed to join Yar'Adua's government. On 28 June 2007, Yar'Adua publicly revealed his declaration of assets from May (becoming the first Nigerian Leader to do so), according to which he had ₦856,452,892 naira (US$5.8 million) in assets, ₦19 million ($0.1 million) of which belonged to his wife. He also had ₦88,793,269.77 ($0.5 million) in liabilities. This disclosure, which fulfilled a pre-election promise he made, was intended to set an example for other Nigerian politicians and discourage corruption. In June and July 2007, several governors who served with him before 2007 were charged by EFCC, the anti-corruption commission. Many decisions of the former government like the hike in prices of petroleum products and VAT have been overturned by his government. Many saw this as a sign that he was not a puppet of the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Yar'Adua's new cabinet was sworn in on 26 July 2007. It included 39 ministers, including two from the ANPP. Buhari and Abubakar filed petitions to have the results of the 2007 presidential election invalidated due to alleged fraud, but on 26 February 2008 a court rejected the petitions. Marred by corruption, many argued that his election was rigged by Obasanjo as well, as he wanted his successor to have the same basic ideals that he possessed as President.
President Yar'Adua left Nigeria on 23 November 2009, and was reported to be receiving treatment for pericarditis at a clinic in Saudi Arabia. He was not seen in public again and his absence created a power vacuum in Nigeria.
Various groups stated that Yar'Adua, should have handed over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in an acting capacity during his illness. On January 22, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Ministries of Nigeria had 14 days to decide on a resolution about whether he "is incapable of discharging the functions of his office". The ruling also stated that the Federal Ministries should hear testimony of five doctors, one of whom should be Yar'Adua's personal physician.
On February 9, 2010, the Senate determined that presidential power should be transmitted to the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. He was to serve as Acting President, with all the accompanied powers, until Yar'Adua returned to full health. On February 24, 2010, Yar'Adua returned to Abuja. His state of health was unclear, but there was speculation that he was still on a life support machine.
Yar'Adua died on May 5, 2010, 9 P.M. local time at the Aso Rock presidential villa.
Yar'adua leaves behind Hajia Turai Umaru Yar'adua, children and grandchildren.
Source: 234next
0 comment(s):
Post a Comment