Tributes, tears as Jonathan, others bid Yakowa farewell

At exactly 4.06pm on Thursday, the remains of the late Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, were committed to mother earth at his country home in  Fadan Kagomain Jema’a Local Government Area of the state.

Among those present  to  bid him farewell were  President Goodluck Jonathan; Senate President David Mark;  Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Aminu Tambuwal; the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bamanga Tukur;  Catholic Bishop of Sokoto ,    Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah, and Cardinal John Onaiyekan.

At  Saint Paul Catholic Church where the burial mass was held, his chidren and hundreds of kinsmen and women   wept uncontrollably.

Yakowa  died in a helicopter crash in  Bayelsa State last Saturday. Ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, and four others were also killed in the accident.

 In their tributes at the  service, Jonathan, Mark, Kukah and others  praised the late governor’s commitment to national development, saying  he died at an “appointed time”.

Jonathan, who described December 15, the day  of  the crash   as a dark Saturday, regretted that the country had lost “a bridge builder”.

He said the deceased was an embodiment of honesty, love and unity,  and urged all Nigerians to emulate him.

The President said, “Yakowa  talked about peace, love, and unity always. He was a nationalist but death comes when it will come. When it comes it is what  matters. His death is unfortunate, but it is the Will of God.  I was encouraged by the speech of the widow (Amina) that Yakowa’s death brought unity and peace.

 “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.

“ There was no ethnic or religious divide in his blood.

“It is time for all Nigerians to preach peace, love and unity because this is what Yakowa represented when he was alive.”

He pledged the support of the  Federal Government to the immediate family of the deceased.

The President  also appealed to leaders to watch their utterances in public and in private.

He said Yakowa died at his appointed time by God, and urged the people to ignore those who are  spreading  suspicious stories about his death.

Jonathan  debunked the purported claim that a section of the religious divide in the state rejoiced over the death of Yakowa.

He noted that former Head of State, Maj.-Gen  Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, had cancelled his 70th birthday in honour of Yakowa.

The President  also called on Governor Yero to ignore those advocating the politics of exclusion in the state.

He said, “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.”

Senator Mark said Yakowa emphasised the virtue of peace, love and unity until his death.

 Mark recalled that  a few weeks ago when he visited Buhari over the death of his daughter, all the discussions  they had centred on the peace and unity of the people of the state.

He said, “Yakowa  emphasised the virtues of unity and peace throughout his reign as Kaduna governor. And if we fail to imbibe these good virtues, the death of  Yakowa will be in vain.”

Yero reiterated his earlier pledge  to uphold the vision of the late governor.

He said, “It is, therefore, significant to note that his death has brought the people of Kaduna State together irrespective of religious and tribal persuasions. 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.”

Speaking also, Kukah noted that the death of  Yakowa was an act of God.

He said the deceased made his mark as the first child from the Christian dominated southern part of Kaduna to attain top positions at various levels of government.

Kukah said Yakowa also broke a jinx by becoming the first Christian executive governor of Kaduna.

He said the feat had seemed unattainable in the state because of certain interests who were playing the politics of exclusion, based on religion.

Kukah said 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.

The Bishop  enjoined youths  from southern Kaduna to emulate the good traits of Yakowa and be confident in themselves so that they could achieve lofty positions in the state and beyond. He urged them not to surrender to doubts and feelings of inferiority.

Others prominent Nigerians in attendance at the funeral were  Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger; Gabriel Suswam of Benue State;  Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; and the Chairman of Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi  of Rivers State.