Abba Kyari: How FG Ridiculed Nigeria; Nigerians Rise In Anger

By Adesina Soyooye

In Nigeria, anger reigns.

The sympathy for the government and, especially, for President Mohammadu Buhari, on the announcement of the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, has given way to unadulterated anger.

Kyari had died in Lagos on Friday of Coronavirus.

He was President Buhari’s Chief of Staff.

But his funeral, in Abuja, on Saturday, has sparked outrage. All protocols, associated with COVID-19 were broken.

And the fear among the populace, especially, those in Abuja and environs is that the FG, by brazenly breaking its own law with impunity, has endangered the lives of Nigerians. They accuse the Government of lawlessness, and demand an apology.

They are saying that from the day Kyari returned from Germany, the FG looked the other way while the laws of the land, as it concerns COVID-19 were trampled upon.

When Kyari returned from Berlin, Germany, where he had gone, with a couple of other officials, to meet with German Company, SIEMENS on Power, the law was already in place that anybody who had just come back from burdened countries should self-quarantine. He never did. Instead, Nigerians point out, Kyari went on a meeting spree with Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and state Governors.

Mercifully, both Buhari and Osinbajo tested negative to the disease but, two Governors, Kaduna’s Nasir El- Rufai, and Oyo’s Seyi Makinde,  were infected. The late Chief of Staff did not stop at there.

He proceeded to Lokoja where  he led a Federal Government delegation  to condole with Governor Yahaya Bello, over the loss of his mother.

“He the importer of the Virus to the Villa and Abuja”, an angry Abuja resident,  who introduced himself as an Engineer, said on Saturday.

“What if he had infected Buhari and Osinbajo?, he added.

Yet, all that pales in the face of what followed thereafter.

Here they are.

*After days of hide and seek and denial by the Presidency on his status, Kyari, publicly revealed he tested positive for Coronavirus in a  statement which, at once, brimmed with inspiration, humility, loyalty to his boss, and submission to the will of Allah.

But he spoilt it, in connivance with the Federal Government, by leaving Abuja, and flying to Lagos.

At the time he did, the FG had closed Nigeria’s airspace to both international and local flights.

Kyari said he was going to Lagos for a private treatment.

Said Suleiman, a Lawyer: “It is difficult to agree that no hospital in Abuja could manage him. Yet, a simple explanation by FG as to why he left Abuja would have assuaged the feeling of preferential treatment. Why was he not isolated in Abuja?”

*At the time Kyari went to a private hospital, it was common knowledge that private hospitals were barred from treating patients of COVID-19. They are still barred, with a threat by the Government to close any hospital which flouts the order. Why was Kyari’s different?

Recall that the, otherwise, impressive and hardworking Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi,  had denied knowledge of the hospital Kyari was receiving treatment from. It was only on Saturday, after Kyari’s death, that he revealed it was the First Cardiology Consultants, and that it was accredited to handle COVID-19 cases.

In more civilized climes, Abayomi would have been on the slammer.

Yet, worse was to come.

On his death, the Federal Government broke more laws.

*Against the protocol of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and that if the World Health Organization, WHO, his body was flown to Abuja.

* It was publicly received at the airport.

*The corpse was taken to Defence House, his official residence.

* From there, it was driven in a convoy to Gudu Military Cemetery where all the protocols were finally broken.

There was a crowd, including high profile government officials.

The crowd made nonsense of the social distancing order.

Most people, in the crowd,  did not not wear any Personal Protective Equipment, PPE.

In deed, one of them, wearing not even gloves, was seen openly helping those carrying the body.

After the burial, one of those who buried him, removed his PPE along the road, where he packed his car, stuffed it in a red polytene bag, dropped it carelessly on the road, and drove off.

Where were all the Security personnel?, Nigerians are asking.

And, where were the NCDC officials?

What did they teach this man who dumped his PPE on the road?

How does the Government expect Nigerians to obey the COVID-19 orders after what was witnessed on television channels at the burial?

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had said the corpses of COVID-19 victims will not be released to families. Why was Kyari’s different? Said an Abuja- based Journalist, “Kyari’s body was not only released, its burial was a big-do, televised, so Nigerians would know that all fingers are not equal. It is a big shame. Why then are Nigerians being harrassed o the roads everyday, and some even killed over a breach of the COVID-19 lockdown order?”

Many Nigerians are, strongly, of the opinion that the brazen breaking of the law during Kyari’s burial, would escalate the spread of the deadly Virus in Nigeria, and especially, Abuja.

They have, therefore, called for the tracking and quarantining, for 14 days, of all those who attended the funeral, except those who wore their PPE.

Asked an Actress:”Why were Funke Akindele and her husband prosecuted and convicted? That convinction should immediately be reversed. They are Saints compared to what we saw on television during Abba Kyari’s funeral. Government cannot break its own law, and expect others to obey it.You lead by example”

But Dr Mohammed Kawu, the Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, FCTA,  offers a consolatory statement.

He said the FCTA will ensure that what happened at Kyari’s burial will never happen again. He also said that the man who dumped his PPE on the road has been quarantined. According to Dr Kawu, the Dugu cemetery has, also, been decontaminated, and all those who attended the burial, he assures, will be tracked and quarantined.

But Nigerians insist that the damage has been done already.  Most important, says Ugochinyere of the CUPP, Nigerians need an apology for this ridicule.