Mamman Daura, a
nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari, says Abba Kyari was recommended as
running mate to Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.
Obasanjo was
president from 1999 to 2007.
Kyari, who died of
complications from COVID-19 on April 17, was chief of staff to Buhari.
In a tribute, Daura
described Kyari as an intelligent man who could have been the second in command
when Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.
“These times
coincided with the country’s return to democracy and Malam Abba was among those
enthusiastically espousing the cause of General Obasanjo,” Daura said.
“On his selection as
PDP candidate, a group of women and youths in the PDP lobbied Obasanjo to pick
Malam Abba as his vice presidential running mate. After heated debates,
Obasanjo eventually picked Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
 |
| Obasanjo eventually picked Atiku as his running mate in 1999 |
Daura said the late
Kyari stood firmly behind Buhari and his “perseverance paid off” in 2015 when
Buhari won the presidential election.
“To his great
surprise, the president appointed Malam Abba as the chief of staff. Fortified
by the rigours of a Cambridge education and varied experience in banking,
industry, investment and journalism, Malam Abba set himself the task of
defining the role, functions and status of the chief of staff. He started by
consulting previous incumbents of the position he could reach as a way of
educating himself of the challenges ahead of him,” he said.
Below are other
things Daura said about the late chief of staff.
‘LIVED A SIMPLE
LIFE’
 |
| ‘He was loyal to the causes he signed on to’ |
Daura said the late Kyari lived a very simple life and avoided flamboyance which many in his class were known for.
“He lived a fairly
simple life and habitually wore a red cap, white clothing and black shoes. He
had to be forced by his friends to change the cap and he wore the shoes to the
ground before buying a new pair,” he wrote.
“Malam Abba Kyari
was a man blessed with mountainous gifts and uncommon attributes of
intelligence, diligence, hard work, loyalty to friends and worthy causes.”
TOOK A JOB BELOW HIS
STATUS
Duara, who was
editor of the New Nigerian in the 70s, said Kyari had come to him with an offer
to work in the newsroom.
Even when there was
no space that he could occupy in the news company, Kyari didn’t hesitate to
take that position with a pay below what he had earned previously.
“I first set eyes on
Malam Abba about 47 years ago. I was at my desk at the New Nigerian newspapers
office scribbling something or other when the gate messenger brought a sheet of
paper with a name ‘Abba Kyari Chima’ wanting to see the editor,” he wrote.
“When he came in he
looked winsome and slightly diffident. After pleasantries I wanted to know his
reason for coming to New Nigerian. He said he read and liked an editorial in
the paper a few days earlier headed: ‘Solution looking for a Problem’ and he
resolved to work with us. After swift enquiry, I was told there were no
vacancies in the newsroom nor in sub-editing. But a lowly position existed as
proof reader as someone had just left.
“I was about to apologise
to him that what was available was beneath his station. Malam Abba quickly
said: “I will take it.” After formalities he was enrolled as a staff of New
Nigerian.
“By ‘taking it’ he
was taking a sizeable cut from his previous teaching job’s pay as the salary
scales in the New Nigerian where Malam Abba and I worked were historic in their
frugality. You couldn’t get fat on the wages of the New Nigerian in the mid
-70s.”
‘HELPED REVIVED
COLLAPSING UBA’
 |
Kyari was MD of UBA |
As Kyari ventured into banking career, Daura described him as one of those who helped revived the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
He would eventually
become the bank’s chief executive.
“When Mr. Hakeem
Belo-Osagie assembled a team of investors and managers to help revive the
collapsing UBA, Malam Abba was persuaded to join the group and after weeks of
diligence the group acquired UBA and Malam Abba joined the bank as a Senior
executive,” he wrote.
“Needless to relate,
he eventually became the bank’s chief executive and on retirement was persuaded
to remain as non-executive vice-chairman.”
HE WAS INFLUENCED BY
INDIAN PROFESSORS
 |
| Kyari and the president he served ‘with his heart’ |
Daura said as soon
as he came into office, Kyari started consulting previous incumbents of the
position he could reach as a way of educating himself of challenges ahead.
“Malam Abba was at
odds with many senior members of the government on economic policies. Many
Nigerian elites tend to lean towards the Bretton Woods one-size-fits-all
solutions long discredited and demonstrably failed in so many so-called third
World countries. Malam Abba tended to look inward for solutions and was not an
ideologue,” he wrote.
“He was heavily
influenced by two Nobel laureates, the great West Indian economist, Professor
Arthur Lewis and the eminent Indian Professor Amartya Sen, the latter Malam
Abba frequently called to exchange views. Despite holding firm views, his
advice to the president was dispassionate, even-handed and did not hide unpleasant
facts, in the best traditions of public service. In point of intellect, he
stood above all ministers and special advisers in this government.”
GAVE HIS MAIDUGURI
HOME TO IDPs
Since he was no
longer living there, Kyari reportedly made his house in Maiduguri, Borno state,
available for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
According to Daura,
at least 75 persons were taken care of by the ex-chief of staff and this
gesture, he never made public.
“Few people knew
that over ten years ago, he turned his house in Maiduguri (since he no longer
resided there) into accommodation for IDPs. At some stage there were 75 people
whom Malam Abba was feeding, clothing and looking after; in addition to their
children’s education,” Daura wrote.
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