Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and for president Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan, former president of Nigeria has written a soul touching tribute to his late boss, Umar Musa Yar’Adua.
Late Musa Yar’Adua took office in 2007 as Nigeria’s President and led for 3 years. He died on the 5th of May 2010, aged 58.
He died in Saudi Arabia and was flown back for burial. The known cause of death was pericarditis – inflammation of a membrane around the heart.
He was succeeded by his then vice-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Jonathan completed Yar Adua’s term and won a substantive term in 2011.
In a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Jonathan described his late boss as a man who has respect for people’s rights, freedom, justice, and rule of law.
He added that he will continue to remember him as “a colleague and boss” who became his brother and friend.
His words, “It has been a decade since His Excellency President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was snatched by the cold hands of death. On this day, every year, his image fills our consciousness as a mark of his selflessness, typical modesty and exceptional flair.
“He was a President like no other who lived and died for the sake of his country. He stood on the side of the people, toiling day and night to make their lives better.
“President Yar’Adua built strong bridges of hope, love and understanding for which he became a force for national unity and positive change across our blessed land.
“In many ways he stood out. He had an accommodating spirit and enormous goodwill that secreted a web around our national fault lines to strengthen the bond; thus leaving for his successors the task of reinforcing the band.
“President Yar’Adua no doubt left enduring legacies in his wholehearted devotion to the ideals of democracy, respect for peoples’ rights, freedoms and reason for living as well as commitment to the rule of law and laws of equity and justice.
“I will continue to remember President Yar’Adua as a colleague and boss who became my brother and friend.