Nigerians on social media today are celebrating the memory of a former president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who died in office on this day, ten years ago.
The two-time Katsina Governor is revered by most Nigerians as the best President by far since the return to multi-party democracy in 1999. He was the second civilian president under Nigeria’s current constitution. He won controversial polls after his predecessor – Olusegun Obasanjo’s aborted plan to extend his stay from 1999 – 2007 got stiff opposition from the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Having led the country for 3 years, Yar’adua who was the first university graduate to emerge as Nigeria’s leader is best known for great legacies as: quelling the decades of militancy in the Niger Delta, pioneering public declaration of assets by government officials and the policy of returning unspent funds to the national treasury at the end of the fiscal year, initiated the dredging of the River Niger bank, Abuja metro line, Abuja-Kaduna rail and the Abuja-Kano rail. He is also prominent for laying the foundation for Electoral Reforms in the country through the Justice Uwais Committee/Report.
The former University Lecturer passed on at the age of 58 in Saudi Arabia – and was flown back for burial. The known cause of death was pericarditis – inflammation of a membrane around the heart. He is dearly missed.
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