Former Vice President of Nigeria and Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has paid tribute to late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on the 10th year anniversary of his passing away.
Abubakar in a statement by his media office in Abuja on Tuesday, joined other Nigerians in “remembering the life of a man, whose legacies continue to have great impact on them”.
Abubakar said he indeed and all Nigerians will not forget the indisputable achievements of Yar’Adua’s short-lived administration.
“As each year passes by, we are constantly reminded of his outstanding leadership skills and decision making acumen,” he said.
According to him, Yar’Adua was a man that was never shy of reaching out to people, irrespective of political party affiliations, whenever it came to finding solutions to addressing issues that bedevilled us as a nation.
To him, it was country first before political, religious and ethnic considerations, Abubakar said, adding: “His belief in the oneness of Nigeria contributed to the vigour and passion we saw him display in bringing to a halt, the hostilities mounted on the nation’s mainstay and her people by militants.
“That singular act, remains a milestone that would forever be remembered in the annals of Nigeria’s political and economic life.
“With the creation of the Niger Delta ministry and the Amnesty programme, he ushered in a new era of peace and stability in the Niger Delta region and by extension, the whole country.”
Abubakar said the Amnesty Programme’s success story is one that cannot be exhaustively explained in just a few paragraphs.
He further recalled the late Yar’Adua’s accomplishments in the area of pro-masses policies.
The reduction of the fuel pump price due to the price reduction in the crude oil market was notable, he said, adding that his far-reaching policies that impacted positively on the lives of the low income families is worthy of emulation.
The former Vice President, however, noted with nostalgia and regret his inability to pursue and realise one of his signature policies, The Vision 20, 2020, that was dear to the late president and which inspired confidence and hope in many.
Of note, among his achievements, Abubakar said, was adherence to the rule of law, with which his administration was nicknamed.
He said: “Yar’Adua’s no nonsense stance on the issue of rule of law, indeed, gave the nation and her inhabitants the feeling that everyone and everybody is equal in the eyes of the law. The rule of law is the lifeblood of any democratic system.”
The Waziri Adamawa prayed to God Almighty to continue to grant Yar’Adua’s gentle soul peace and forgive his shortcomings.
