The man Abba Kyari, and an empty political brouhaha

The modern history of Africa, more so African states, is one that does not engender much pride, glory and hope. Several reasons are given for this, not least, the deleterious effects of slavery, imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. The lack of true leadership on the continent must also account for these States present predicament. True leadership […]

The modern history of Africa, more so African states, is one that does not engender much pride, glory and hope. Several reasons are given for this, not least, the deleterious effects of slavery, imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. The lack of true leadership on the continent must also account for these States present predicament. True leadership here must be defined to imply integrity, honesty, uprightness, probity, honour, good character, righteousness, decency, sincerity, selflessness and truthfulness.

That said, I have been tremendously honoured to have the opportunity to know one person who is an embodiment of all these virtues, that is, Malam Abba Kyari. Abba, as I call him, and I have been very close friends, more like brothers, for some thirty-nine years. We first met in 1980 as students in Wolfson College, University of Cambridge where I had proceeded to in 1979 from Ghana. In no time we struck a deep friendship that has lasted till date fuelled not only because of those virtues Abba embodies but also because he is a man of such great learning and scholarship whose views on any subjects, particularly those pertaining to Nigeria and Africa, cannot easily be ignored. This is exemplified by some articles he has written, including: ‘Nigeria: Africa’s Leader or Leaden’; ‘Nigeria is Changing for the Better And Our Failed Elite Has Every Reason to be Terrified’, and ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’.

Not surprisingly, at the time of the appointment of Abba as Chief of Staff for the newly-elected President of Nigeria in August 2015, the mercurial Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is on record to have stated that: “I studied at Cambridge University in 1984 with Abba Kyari, President Buhari’s Chief of Staff. We sat next to each other during our final exams and I can confirm that he is brilliant, He also worked in my father’s law firm ‘ Fani-Kayode and Sowemino’ for years and he was one of the brightest”.

Without doubt, Abba has over the years become made of the stuff legends are made of. Therefore, even amidst the brouhaha surrounding his appointment or re-appointment is a well-researched piece I have just read from a distance in Accra titled ‘The Abba Kyari People Don’t See But Feel Threatened By’ which bears adequate testimony to the man’s enduring capacity and the attractiveness to the position he holds. It bears quoting in full, but I can only limit myself to a few lines: “President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari is an extremely intelligent, unassuming and well-read man with a wide grasp of issues. A lawyer, journalist and banker by training, he is a very diligent; known to read important policy documents several times over, making corrections and seeking input from wide groups of informed colleagues before finally sharing it with the president. His detractors are perturbed by his fierce independence of thought. He aggressively protects the president from what he believes to be the elitist lobby that has for many decades used government access and influence to enrich themselves.”

I have read also the statement by National Chairman Ganiyu Galadima of the Allied Congress Party Of Nigeria (ACPN) which says: “The quality of advice, commitment, selflessness and patriotism of Alhaji Abba Kyari are some of the qualities that endeared him to the President, besides loyalty and friendship”.

And from the chairman of the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), Niyi Akinsiju and its secretary Cassidy Madueke, comes the following statement: “Malam Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President has brought sublime sophistication to the dispensation of his duties; he has given his best dutifully, and has been instrumental to the many successes of the Buhari administration…”

Even before these statements were made, an article appearing in Africa Confidential noted: “There has been a social media campaign against Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff and veteran Buhari loyalist which reflects the view of many politicians and contractors that he is the main obstacle in the inner circle to ‘business as usual’.

Political office can be a precarious one in the circumstances in which political elites across the continent have abdicated their responsibilities on the altar of political expediency and personal aggrandizement. Character assassination, calumny, unbridled personal animosity and insults await those who fight for the good of country and people. I cannot imagine Abba succumbing to these negative forces in pursuit of political power to advance their selfish interests. Therefore, it is refreshing and heartening to hear the three red lines he has drawn confronting the challenges. These are: One, that he will not allow anybody to mislead the president through misrepresentation. Two, that he will not allow the president’s integrity to be violated. Three, that he will not allow Nigeria’s interests to be subordinated to any other consideration.

In conclusion, I am vividly reminded of Abba’s motivation for his continued stay in office, that is, he is a person who has voluntarily signed to join the army in times of war. Fortunately, that war is being ably led by his boss, ‘The Spartan General’ (a term used to describe General Bernard Law Montgomery, later to become Lord Montgomery of Alamein, who commanded the Allied Forces North African Campaign and achieved fame for his victories against the ‘Desert Fox’, Marshall Erwin Rommel of the Wehrmacht, but it is also a term which aptly describes General Buhari in the task he has set for himself towards dealing with the ills that afflict the Nigerian society).

Benneh wrote from School of Law, University of Ghana, Accra. He can be reached via [email protected]