Jonathan leads FG delegation to Yakowa's burial today

Yakowa’s casket

Yakowa's casket

The Federal Executive Council devoted its weekly meeting on Wednesday to the honour of six victims of last Saturday’s fatal helicopter crash in Bayelsa State.

Also, President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to lead a federal government delegation to Kaduna state Thursday for the burial of Yakowa on Thursday. The former Kaduna governor will be buried in his village of Kagoma today. kagoma is 230 kms to Kaduna the capital.

At today’s session of FEC which was the last for the year, members led by President Goodluck Jonathan paid tribute to the memories of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Owoye Azazi, their aides, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal, and the pilots, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi Sowole who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter crash.
Members also observed a minute silence in their honour while two condolence registers were opened and signed by cabinet members

President Jonathan said Yakowa was a politician who never exploited ethnic or religious sentiments for his selfish ends and who believed in the unity of Nigeria.

“Governor Yakowa was a different class of politician. Most of us who are politicians exploit religious sentiments to divide Nigerians for our own selfish gains. We exploit north south divide to divide Nigerians for our selfish gains. But Yakowa was very different. He was gentleman who believed in the unity of this country.”

He also described the late General Azazi as a fine and selfless officer who served his country meritoriously.

FEC has also shelved all memos meant for deliberation till January 9, 2013.

Yakowa’s casket

Meanwhile, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger state has chided those Nigerians reported to have celebrated the death of late Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, describing them as “inhuman”.

Aliyu made the remark while receiving the Speaker of Niger House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Usman who led other members of the Assembly to pay a condolence visit on him.

Related News

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit on Aliyu was with regard to his position as chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum.

“No matter the religion one professes, the simple tenet is that we should sympathise with the dead and the bereaved and pray for the repose of the soul of the departed whose death is a colossal loss,’’ the governor said.

He described as unreligious and inhuman the Nigerians reported to have through the social media rejoiced over the death of the former governor..

“Immediately we start praying for our leaders to die, then we are asking that the whole society should die. We must pray for our leaders. We must go back to our faith and practise our religion as demanded by the almighty Allah.

“We must talk to our children. We must be involved in the moral and religious education of our children. This development shows that we are failing in the duty to train our children,’’ Aliyu said.

He described late Yakowa as a bridge-builder who brought Muslims and Christians in Kaduna state together, saying the late governor provided peace and tranquillity.

Earlier, Usman had said the legislators were impressed with the humility the late governor displayed throughout his lifetime which endeared him to a large number of Nigerians.

He said Speakers in the Northern part of the country received the news with great shock but were consoled that the deceased had left an indelible mark in the sand of times.

Load more