An article by The Economist of London has
explained what Abba Kyari tried to do for
Nigeria before his sad demise.
Abba Kyari

The Economist of London says Abba Kyari, the
late chief of staff to President Muhammadu
Buhari, tried to clean up Nigeria before his
demise.

Exactly one week ago, Kyari died from
COVID-19 complications. He had tested positive
for the disease after a trip to Germany where
he attended a meeting with officials of Siemens
to discuss issues relating to the Nigerian power
sector.

In a piece published on Thursday ,

It was a rare display of emotion by
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s phlegmatic
president. In a written tribute to Abba Kyari,
his chief of staff, who died in Lagos on April
17th after catching covid-19, Mr Buhari told of
how his “dearest friend” of more than 40 years
tried to improve governance and reduce
corruption in Africa’s most populous country. He
was “the very best of us”, wrote the president.

While Mr Kyari was alive, others were much less
kind. Many saw him as the figurehead for a
shadowy cabal that controlled policy and
appointments, and granted favours and
contracts. Cabinet ministers grumbled that they
could not get past his door to discuss important
issues with a distant and apathetic president.
Mr Kyari’s economic thinking, which seemed
stuck in the 1970s, was also criticised.

There was some truth to these accusations. Yet
there is also a broader parable of Mr Kyari. It is
one of a largely honourable man who went to
the heart of a thoroughly corrupt and
dysfunctional system, aiming to reform it—but
who struggled to overcome its inertia amid a
series of crises.

Like his ascetic boss (pictured, seated), Mr Kyari
(standing) was a man of modest habits, at least
by the standards of Nigeria’s elite. He was
known to turn down offers of free upgrades to
first class (he thought it vulgar) before taking his
seat in business class on British Airways flights.
His weaknesses were for books on political
economy and plates of well-done kippers at the
Dean Street Townhouse in London.

The corruption and decay of Nigeria’s state, and
the inequality they bred, dismayed and worried
him. Nigeria had to change, he argued. The
question was whether it would be through
orderly reform or chaotic breakdown.

When seeing your correspondent one evening in
Abuja, Mr Kyari pointed to a bag stuffed with
$100 bills. It had been “forgotten” by an earlier
visitor—the boss of an energy company—who
sheepishly came to collect it after getting an
earful. “Much too much of our work is spent on
stopping our own people stealing,” Mr Kyari
said.

The chief of staff, who had studied law at
Cambridge University and been in charge of a
successful bank before Mr Buhari hired him in
2015, thought the state should play a big role in
the economy. He would speak fondly of British
Rail in the 1970s before it was privatised (an era
of strikes and awful food, as Brits remember it).

And he clashed with the imf when it urged
Nigeria to liberalise its fixed exchange rates. But
he was, in essence, a pragmatist who thought
ideology was a distraction from the bigger tasks
of enforcing the rule of law and improving
governance.

He was also cursed with bad luck. Mr Buhari
took power after a crash in oil prices that
pushed the country into recession and starved it
of the money needed to fight the jihadists of
Boko Haram. Mr Kyari had hoped that Mr
Buhari’s second term would provide an
opportunity to liberalise the corrupt oil and gas
industries by making contracts and licences
more transparent and taking them out from
under the thumb of politicians. Yet covid-19
may well dash those plans, just as it has
deprived Mr Buhari’s administration of its
rudder.

Kyari was described as “a largely honourable man” who wanted the best for his country.

The Economist said Kyari was often bothered
about the degree of corruption in the country
and thought of ways to end it.

An instance was cited on how the boss of an
energy company “forgot” a bag stuffed with
$100 bills at his office but Kyari was quoted to
have said: “much too much of our work is
spent on stopping our own people stealing”.

“While Mr Kyari was alive, others were much
less kind. Many saw him as the figurehead for
a shadowy cabal that controlled policy and
appointments, and granted favours and
contracts,” the piece read.

“Cabinet ministers grumbled that they could not
get past his door to discuss important issues
with a distant and apathetic president. Mr
Kyari’s economic thinking, which seemed stuck
in the 1970s, was also criticised.

“There was some truth to these accusations.
Yet there is also a broader parable of Mr Kyari.
It is one of a largely honourable man who went
to the heart of a thoroughly corrupt and
dysfunctional system, aiming to reform it—but
who struggled to overcome its inertia amid a
series of crises.

“He was known to turn down offers of free
upgrades to first class (he thought it vulgar)
before taking his seat in business class on
British Airways flights.

“The corruption and decay of Nigeria’s state,
and the inequality they bred, dismayed and
worried him. Nigeria had to change, he argued.
The question was whether it would be through
orderly reform or chaotic breakdown.”

The publication said it is unfortunate that Kyari
served in a government which took power after
crash in oil prices pushed the country into
recession.

It said the late chief of staff had hoped that
Buhari’s second term “would provide an
opportunity to liberalise the corrupt oil and gas
industries by making contracts and licences
more transparent and taking them out from
under the thumb of politicians.”

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/04/23/abba-kyari-who-tried-to-clean-up-nigeria-dies-of-covid-19

Nonsense senseless report by the economist who should know better !!!!!!! Did anyone elect Abba Kyari as president ? Is this not a direct indictment of Buharis incompetence?

Whether this man meant well for the country or not God knows best,but when you see a sponsored article it's easy to identify. They should stop wasting funds sponsoring unnecesary articles just to change people's perspective of him.

so should we resurrect him?

GamalNasser:
Nonsense senseless report by the economist who should know better !!!!!!! Did anyone elect Abba Kyari as president ? Is this not a direct indictment of Buharis incompetence?

Exactly my thoughts . The picture above ironically depicts the relationship the two had. See him standing behind Buhari like he's instructing our beloved boo-boo

It was a rare display of emotion by Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s phlegmatic president.
In a written tribute to Abba Kyari, his chief of staff, who died in Lagos on April
17th after catching covid-19, Mr Buhari told of how his “dearest friend” of more than 40 years

The Economist should shut up already. In trying to vindicate Mr Kyari, they are unwittingly indicting Buhari of incompetence.
The only thing they got right in the piece is the description of Buhari in the bolded.
A phlegmatic president who never cared how his people are faring is not worth to be a president in the 21st century

Diiet:
Whether this man meant well for the country or not God knows best,but when you see a sponsored article it's easy to identify. They should stop wasting funds sponsoring unnecesary articles just to change people's perspective of him.

But you were unable to see sponsored articles against him? Your hatred will claim you eventually, hate has a way of claiming its merchants till they become mere shells of despair and callous misery.

Stalwert:

[s]But you were unable to see sponsored articles against him? Your hatred will claim you eventually, hate has a way of claiming its merchants till they become mere shells of despair and callous misery[/s].

Shut Up!!
Keep Quiet!!!

Virginnn:
so should we resurrect him?

NO. HE SHOULD REMAIN PERMANENTLY IN SHEOL.

[s]

Iyiataata92:


Shut Up!!
Keep Quiet!!!

[/s]

Garbage can't silence the truth

No mention of ruga