Geoffrey Onyeama April 19, 2020 - Tribute to Kyari: The Best Man

I first met Abba Kyari in 1977 at Warwick University in England. I had gone there to do law as a second first degree. He had come to do a degree in sociology. I had a pending application to do Law at Cambridge and when the result of that application came and it was positive, I left Warwick during the second semester.
But my five months at Warwick was enough to build a strong friendship with Abba that lasted till his passing. Almost 43 years!

There was a small group of Nigerians at Warwick then, which included former President Yakubu Gowon (who was doing a PhD in Political Science) ; Senator Osereihmi Osunbor (former Senator and Governor); Sitonye Roy Wakama (former Deputy Inspector General of Police) and the lawyer, Desmond Guobadia.
There were a few other Nigerians.

Abba was quite skinny in those days! We became friends very quickly and a life-long bond was formed.

Abba was very simple and humble. He was also very friendly with everyone. He had very litte interest in material things. We had a common interest in politics and I believe it was our socialist political values that cemented our friendship because we were always discussing politics and how to salvage Nigeria right up to his passing.

Abba was also surprisingly sociable for someone who was so self-effacing and we
had a lot of enjoyable and memorable experiences at parties and discotheques! Abba also had a very good sense of humour belied by his often stern visage.
When I left Warwick University for Cambridge, Abba came to Cambridge to introduce me to his friends there as he had studied in the city for his Advanced levels. After graduating from Warwick University, Abba went up to Cambridge to study law. We kept in touch throughout the last 43 years. We ended up together in Lagos in 1982 to attend Law School for a year. When I left Nigeria in 1985 to work in Geneva for 30 years Abba came to Geneva often to stay with me and whenever I was in Nigeria, he made it a point of coming to see me wherever I was.

When I got married in Owo to my wife from Idoani, Ondo State, Abba was my Best-Man. The officiating Vicar was somewhat perplexed because I was a Roman Catholic Igbo, marrying an Anglican Yoruba in an Anglican church with a Muslim Kanuri/Shuwa Arab Best-Man from Borno State!
The officiating Catholic priest in Geneva, Switzerland, two years later, during the baptism of our first son, was equally perplexed when a muslim Abba Kyari and a muslim Muni Attah-Sonibare were the Godfather and Godmother respectively! Abba was a Pan-Nigerian, global citizen, who recognized no boundaries between peoples, be they racial, ethnic, religious, class or political. He made friends with everyone.

Abba was a man of unimpeachable integrity. Absolutely incorruptible! I remember after he got married to his wonderful wife, Kulu, he told me how he showed her his first paycheck so she would know that he was not wealthy and would not steal!
It broke my heart to see all the false allegations against him on issues of corruption. He showed me the safe in his office where he put any unsolicited gift .

I remember asking him about the rumours making the rounds that he was making money from the fine imposed on MTN. He immediately showed me the memorandum setting up the Committee to deal with the issue and he was not even a member. He also showed me how he had been able to block attempts by many influential and powerful persons to make a lot of money at the expense of the country. He knew that fighting corruption with such single mindedness and fearlessness would see him at the receiving end of the venom of very powerful forces but was undeterred and preferred to ignore all the defamation against him.

Abba was loyal to a fault. He decided he was going to protect his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, at all costs and would take any number of bullets for him. And he did!
Since he became Chief of Staff to the President, Abba never rested. He worked day and night, seven days a week. He was a hard taskmaster who did not suffer fools gladly. A very demanding boss. He gave a lot of himself and expected his subordinates and colleagues to do the same.
He was very intelligent, very well-read and had a wide and varied professional experience. He held strong opinions and did not yield position easily. But once he believed in someone or a cause, he would fight with everything he had.

Abba believed completely in the Nigerian project and believed completely in President Muhammadu Buhari. During the last five years he gave every second of his life for the success of both. His health suffered as a result but it was a sacrifice and investment he was happy to make. Nigerians will look back in years to come and see that he was truly the
Best Man.

Rest In Peace my brother.

I never liked him myself maybe due to the vile and negative media he got. But one lesson I have learnt from his ordeal is: pray you are never misunderstood or falsely accused by the public and if you find yourself in such position stick to your principles and don't try to please the public. Ultimately the truth always prevails.

Abba Kyari compensated him with a ministerial position obviously.

It is well with Nigeria

You can never fool all of us.

Is there anybody here who doesn't know how Nigeria has been a living hell since 2015?

People are leaving the country in droves, searching for greener pastures. Unemployment and hardship skyrocket. Abuse of power and SARS brutality. Corruption and election fraud. Marginalization and nepotistic style of governance were all orchestrated by Buhari and executed by Abba Kyari.

Death of innocent Shiite protesters and harassment of Sowore, collection of bribery from MTN and all what not.

You can eulogize him, but is understandable because you two were friends and he gave you a Ministerial position. A very corrupt something to do because friendship and good governance don't mix together. No wonder you achieved nothing as a Minister because it was not on merit.

For the rest or us average Nigerians he is a concentrated thief and spoiler of Nigeria. May Devil eat his soul.

Beremx:
Abba Kyari compensated him with a ministerial position obviously.

It is well with Nigeria

You dey mind him?

Sharing ministerial position to his friends is that a sign it was on meritocracy?

This man is unforgivably corrupt and his corrupt associates and politicians on power are fighting so hard to re-write his life here on earth, but it will fail because the Internet never forgets.

The idiot stole money meant development of Nigeria, went to Germany to negotiate money and kickbacks. All these media sainthood no go work, Yardua no do media stunts but was loved by the people

Nairalanders that used to insult people upandan with tribal slurs this is for u all.

See una life? U guys are good for nothing, that is just the fact.

Hope u guys have learnt the lesson from this powerful article.

Beremx:
Abba Kyari compensated him with a ministerial position obviously.

It is well with Nigeria

That's how they assembled their cabinet

Friends and cronies...

An article of a sycophant does not concern me.

If I were in onyema shoes, I would write even a more beautiful one in honour of kyari.

After all, I have benefited from him than 99% of Nigeria.

ZombiePUNISHER:


That's how they assembled their cabinet

Friends and cronies...

Would you have appointed your enemies when your friends are more than qualified?

How come he couldn't influence the Nepotism and tribalism of his boss..


Matter your good intentions, unity is the key, without that you will a mess of a government as far Nigeria is concerned..

May his soul rest in peace amen. A very straight forward man,loyal and incorruptible. He got infected in active service fighting for steady electricity in Nigeria. My condolences to his family

;D2

na una Sabi where una meet

AkeNathan:
[s]You can never fool all of us.

Is there anybody here who doesn't know how Nigeria has been a living hell since 2015?

People are leaving the country in droves, searching for greener pastures. Unemployment and hardship skyrocket. Abuse of power and SARS brutality. Corruption and election fraud. Marginalization and nepotistic style of governance were all orchestrated by Buhari and executed by Abba Kyari.

Death of innocent Shiite protesters and harassment of Sowore, collection of bribery from MTN and all what not.

You can eulogize him, but is understandable because you two were friends and he gave you a Ministerial position. A very corrupt something to do because friendship and good governance don't mix together. No wonder you achieved nothing as a Minister because it was not on merit.

For the rest or us average Nigerians he is a concentrated thief and spoiler of Nigeria. May Devil eat his soul.[/s]

It's your debased soul the devil will eat,fucking bastard!
If gej died,would you have equally listed all the things wrong with the country and say he deserved to die .Abba kyari is like a secretary,he ain't even your president o.
Useless hateful ipob demented bastards!

I still don’t get why they are all writing good stuff about him now. When he was alive and being maligned/misrepresented, none of them spoke up in his defense.

I’m not a political appointee of the current government but I have taken it upon myself in my own little way to counter the fake narrative and propaganda of those who see nothing good in the president and his government. I’m not doing this because I believe the president is perfect - far from it. I’m doing this because I’m convinced it’s better to dwell on the positives and criticize the negatives constructively and not destructively.

So, I find it very untenable when I see direct appointees not speaking out early enough when issues are been misrepresented. What Onyeama wrote about Abba Kyari, particularly the clarification of the MTN money would have made lots of sense some 3 or 4 years ago instead of after his death. Sadly, they all allowed the social media mob to silence them.

Nels55:
How come he couldn't influence the Nepotism and tribalism of his boss..


Matter your good intentions, unity is the key, without that you will a mess of a government as far Nigeria is concerned..

Thank you. Very valid question

VeeVeeMyLuv:
Nairalanders that used to insult people upandan with tribal slurs this is for u all.

See una life? U guys are good for nothing, that is just the fact.

Hope u guys have learnt the lesson from this powerful article.

What lesson? Yet this regime is unmatched in nepotism.

seunmsg:
I still don’t get why they are all writing good stuff about him now. When he was alive and being maligned/misrepresented, none of them spoke up in his defense.

It is called the hypocrisy of Nigerians.

OZAOEKPE:
The idiot stole money meant development of Nigeria, went to Germany to negotiate money and kickbacks. All these media sainthood no go work, Yardua no do media stunts but was loved by the people

The hatred, anger and bitterness that your parents planted in you is the reason why you are sad, bitter, depressed and suicidal

seunmsg:
I still don’t get why they are all writing good stuff about him now. When he was alive and being maligned/misrepresented, none of them spoke up in his defense.

They needed not to. They knew rumors are spread by idiots and accepted by fools. So no need of responding to fools and idiots

Why IPOB miscreants are hating, Abba Kyari was Godfrey Onyeama's best man when the Ibo gentleman married a Yoruba woman from Ondo.

Wailers are really suffering.

He received and kept unsolicited gifts in a safe. Why didn't that considering the sensitive position you hold?

I never knew the man married a Yoruba woman.
So Onyeama is my in-law

StreetFight post=!ś:


Would you have appointed your enemies when your friends are more than qualified?

You get the best from all round the country
Not friends and family

Aso rock today is run by one family
Tell me how the country can move forward

What do you think

tatatar:

[s]It's your debased soul the devil will eat,fucking bastard!
If gej died,would you have equally listed all the things wrong with the country and say he deserved to die .Abba kyari is like a secretary,he ain't even your president o.
Useless hateful ipob demented bastards[/s]e!

Get the hell out of my face you deranged nitwit.

Lover of mis-governance and corruption.

The day Buhari dies, Nigerians will rejoice more than they did at the death of Abacha and Kyari.

Robbers of Nigeria, your soul will not know rest in Hell or Nigeria at the lips of the living.

StreetFight:
Why IPOB miscreants are hating, Abba Kyari was Godfrey Onyeama's best man when the Ibo gentleman married a Yoruba woman from Ondo.

Wailers are really suffering.

Clown.
Onyema is an elite. He feeds at the table of elites.
His realities are not your realities.

The wailers you are insulting are the ones that are fighting for your future.

Onyema does not know you. A fellow like you can never marry his daughter .

Beremx:
Abba Kyari compensated him with a ministerial position obviously.

It is well with Nigeria

hi, i think i met u in my former life