Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, wife of the President Mrs Aisha Buhari and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Mustapha have paid tributes to the late Chief of Staff to the President Mr Abba Kyari.
Kyari died in the late hours of Friday, April 17, 2020 following complications from ailments aggravated by COVID-19.
“Dolapo and I express our sympathies to the President, Mrs Kulu Kyari, the children, and members of the family on the passing of the late Mallam Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President. May the Lord comfort and be with you all in Jesus name. Amen,” Osinbajo said in a condolence message on Saturday.
In a condolence message, Mrs Buhari said: “From God Almighty we came and to him we shall return). I condole with Mrs. Kulu Abba Kyari and the entire family of Late Malam Abba Kyari over the death of their husband and father.
“I pray that Allah (SWT) will forgive his shortcomings, grant him Al-Jannatul Firdausi and give the family the fortitude and patience to bear the loss, Ameen.
“While wishing all those infected a speedy recovery and I pray for an end to Covid-19 Pandemic.”
Secretary to Government of the Federation described the death of Abba Kyari as a personal loss to the president and great loss to the nation.
He said the late Chief of Staff did a great job for the country and its people.
“It is a personal loss to me, the President and to the nation. I believe Malam Abba will be remembered for so many things. He has done a great job for the nation. Malam Abba was a very good man and very determined, intellectually upright and he had a lot of foresight.
“A lot of people didn’t understand Malam Abba but I worked with him for three years and I can tell you that he is a wonderful person, he is a good man; 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.
“If I show u my phone, you will see some of the things that he was sending to me even when he was confirmed positive with COVID-19, he was still sending jokes. Every piece of joke he picked up in the internet he would send it to me.
“He demonstrated a high level of commitment to his job and he had a passion for the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari and in everything he did, he never cared who’s toes he stepped on, provided it was in the attainment of the legacies he believed President Buhari ought to leave.
“He was always very considerate. You might hold different opinions but he would drill the matter until he convinces you or you convince him,” he said.
