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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Governors mourn Yakowa, Azazi

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Governors mourn Yakowa, Azazi
Dec 16th 2012, 23:23

State governors have expressed deep sorrow at the death of Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, and ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, in an helicopter crash on Saturday.

The governors, who expressed their condolences in separate statements on Sunday included Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).

Others included Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers);  Jonah Jang (Plateau); Idris Wada (Kogi); Theodore Orji (Abia) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu).

Fashola on Sunday cancelled his engagements over  the deaths of the governor and the ex-NSA.

A statement by Fashola's Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello, said Fashola described the deaths as shocking and horrific.

He said, "I am simply horrified, not only because of the lives lost or the personalities involved. This is one of the losses we don't really need; in my view, this kind of tragedy is avoidable.

"I just begin to reflect on the things Governor Yakowa and I promised to do together; I was supposed to visit him in Kaduna. There were places he wanted us to cooperate.

"I saw General Azazi just last weekend when we launched the Monopoly Board and he said 'look Tunde we have to see over Christmas' and I said I would see to it. And now to think that all those things are not going to happen because they have lost their lives in very avoidable accident. It is simply horrifying."

Uduaghan said it was a big blow to the country, particularly given the calibre of the people involved.

"This is so sad and painful. It is devastating not just to me as an individual, but to our collective being as a nation," he stated.

Ajimobi declared that in their deaths, the nation had lost some of its brightest stars.

In a statement, Ajimobi said the loss was particularly devastating because the duo were senior citizens who were important in the effort of the country to overcome its challenges.

He added that the death of Yakowa, the Governor's Forum would "miss a man of depth and sagacity whose contributions to the upliftment of the forum were remarkable".

He described Yakowa as a thorough administrator, noting that his death at this time was no doubt an irreparable loss to his Kaduna home state in particular and the entire nation.

Fayemi, in a condolence message on Sunday, described the deaths as a "big tragedy of monumental proportion which hit the nation when least expected."

The governor  said, "On behalf of the people of Ekiti State, I commiserate with the families of the victims and the governments of Kaduna and Bayelsa states and pray that God will console their families and heal the wounds."

Aregbesola and Oshiomhole described the deaths as painful and shocking.

A statement by the Director, Osun State Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, on Sunday  quoted Aregbesola as saying the demise of the two eminent Nigerians was a national disaster.

Aregbesola said, "Governor Patrick Yakowa was an astute politician, a selfless leader and a gentleman worthy of emulation."

Jang described the deaths as not only tragic and unfortunate, but highly regrettable.

Jang said Yakowa died at at a time he was most needed in the peace process not only in Kaduna State, but in Plateau, with  which it shared common antecedents.

Wada described the deaths as a national tragedy.

Ahmed in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, described the air mishap as a national calamity.

In a statement, Amaechi said the incident had thrown the nation into mourning at a time Nigerians were preparing for the Yuletide.

Orji described the deaths as very painful and shocking.

The governor, in a statement, said he was "yet to come to terms with this sad development which has thrown the nation into mourning".

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