Kyari in the lens of statesmen, politicians

THE sun set for Mallam Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, on Friday on earth. His exit was a dramatic end to a life that conjured different images to different quarters since he assumed office in 2015. It is evident from the perception of his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, that a lot of people misunderstood the Borno State-born reticent but principled elder statesman. The tribute of the president showed that many had tried to reconstruct the personality of Kyari, based on warped criteria and template that contrasted his image and character. In a deep reflection on his loyal friend and compatriot for 42 years, Buhari said Kyari symbolised “the very best of us,” as “He was made of the stuff that makes Nigeria great.” Asserting that the late 67-year-old CoS was imbued with the sharpest legal and organisational mind, the president observed that Kyari was not cut out for primordial sentiments but ingrained in patriotism and loyalty. His words: “He made clear in his person and his practice, always, that every Nigerian – regardless of faith, family, fortune or frailty – was heard and treated respectfully and the same.” The role of the deceased in the anti-corruption war of the country also elicited remarkable comments by the president, with the declaration that “In political life, Abba never sought elective office for himself. Rather, he set himself against the view and conduct of two generations of Nigeria’s political establishment – who saw corruption as an entitlement and its practice a byproduct of possessing political office.”

However, the belief by some individuals is that certain actions of the president in the past had a correlation with public perception of the former banker, editor and administrator of repute.  Such actions created the impression that Kyari was the hand that rocked the crown and invariably, ruled the country. His directive during inauguration for second term as president that all ministers should report to the CoS was seen as that the president had given the deceased the awesome power and undermined the constitution of the country.

But with a touch of subtlety, President Buhari, in his tribute to Kyari, explained how his late CoS carried out the assignment seamlessly while alive. The president corroborated the view of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on the sense of responsibility, diligence and patriotism. The president observed that Kyari made enormous sacrifice to strike a balance in his relationship with all and sundry as CoS. In the words of President Buhari, “Working, without fail, seven days each and every week, he (Kyari) acted forcefully as a crucial gatekeeper to the presidency, ensuring no one – whether minister or governor had access beyond another – and that all those representing and serving our country were treated equally.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, also accentuated the anatomy of the CoS as given by President Buhari.   Mustapha believes that the critics of Kyari fail to understand his personality make-up before jumping to conclusions. Describing the deceased as a wonderful person, the SGF said, having worked with him for three years, he could assert that “deep down in his heart, he always meant well and I looked up to him as a senior brother in the course of the work that we did in the last three years.”

Geoffrey Onyeama, in his tribute entitled: “The Best Man,” extolled the humility of his age-long friend dating back to 1977 at Warwick University in England. He said that Abba was not only very simple and humble; but that he was also very friendly with everyone with very little interest in material things. The minister reminisced that he and Kyari had a common interest in politics and that their thoughts on  socialist political values cemented their friendship “because we were always discussing politics and how to salvage Nigeria right up” to the point of his demise.

The minister added: “Abba was loyal to a fault. He decided he was going to protect his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, at all costs and would take any number of bullets for him. And he did! Since he became Chief of Staff to the President, Abba never rested. He worked day and night, seven days a week. He was a hard taskmaster who did not suffer fools gladly. A very demanding boss. He gave a lot of himself and expected his subordinates and colleagues to do the same.

The characterisation of the Kyari personality by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) following his death is instructive, with the opposition saying it called for a serious reflection on the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The ADP said, while it condoled with President Buhari for losing one of the best hands in his government, who has been a pillar of support to him, “It is indeed a sad time for those who know the erudite administrator, who was very vast and fiercely committed to his job. The instructive lesson for all is that COVID-19 is real and deadly irrespective of status, gender, creed or religion.”

Other elder statesmen, including a former President of the Senate and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, harped on the virtues of hard work, trust and loyalty of Kyari. He said the late CoS left everyone who had the opportunity to meet him as a public official with the impression of a truly sincere and patriotic citizen. According to Anyim, “Mallam Abba Kyari was a hard-working, loyal and dependable Chief of Staff who discharged his duties with uncommon commitment and diligence. Every well-meaning person who encountered him in office came away with the conclusion that he knew his onions and went about his duties with candour.”

The perception of Kyari by Anyim was not different from the reflection of a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in his tribute to Kyari. He noted that, “Abba Kyari was a true and immeasurably committed patriot who gave all he had in the service of our country, Nigeria.”

A former governor of Lagos State, senator Bola Tinubu, who shared with Kyari the glory of being leaders of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), opined that words were not sufficient to capture the personality of Kyari. Apart from expressing a deep sense of loss, Tinubu stated: “He was an extremely able, loyal and talented man, who dedicated his considerable skills to the success of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

A former Minister of Education and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Tunde Adeniran, in his condolence message to President Buhari, said the demise of Kyari was a major loss for the country given his wealth of experience and patriotism. “It is a further depletion of our nation’s human resource assets, particularly at this critical time that we are confronted with a major national crisis in our national life when his valuable services are most needed by the presidency. The departed was not only a great Nigerian who, through his previous diverse beats of service and most importantly, the last one, made great personal exertions for our good of Nigeria. He did his best for our country, particularly in the last five years that he served Your Excellency dutifully and loyally as the Chief of Staff,” Professor Adeinran stated.

Perhaps more revealing was the views of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing. Conveying the condolence of the British government, she recalled that, “I engaged regularly with Abba Kyari in his capacity as Chief of Staff to the President and greatly valued our open, honest and frank dialogue. He brought spirit, tenacity and a tireless commitment to his beloved Nigeria. He was highly respected in the international community as a passionate champion of Nigeria’s interests.”

The summation of the life and times of Kyari by the president and other personalities contrasted with the views in a few quarters of a man imbued with awesome power and authority. Such opinion is countered by close allies and friends of the deceased, who blamed such negative thoughts to treachery, transferred aggression and bigotry.    In all, the narratives from the president to other politically exposed persons on Kyari diminish the chasm of cynsm created in the public space about the image of the late CoS, who even leading opposition figures extolled  for being a reticent, patriotic conscientious and loyal statesman.

 

 

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