…President Tinubu preaches “love, religious diversity.”
by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
JOS: The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has preached “love and religious diversity” at the burial of Mother of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Jos.
Plateau State Capital witnessed dignitaries from all walks of life, who gathered to bid farewell to late Nana Lydia Yildawa, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, at the COCIN Headquarters Jos.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived at the Church of Christ in Nations, Headquarters, Jos, at exactly 2:6pm with an entourage of the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief of Staff to the President, Governors, Members of the National Assembly, Ministers, Deputy Governors, former Governors and Members of the National Assembly, led by the host Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.
President Tinubu described Nentawe as a good man; that is why they elected him to lead their party, saying, “We should love one another because we are serving one God. I inherited Islam, and my wife is a Pastor, and she always pray for me. I have never tried to convert her.”
The President commended the clergy for sustaining peace and standing behind the bereaved family during the moment of their bereavement.
According to him, “We used to meet in Jos to decide the fate of late Moshood Abiola; and I’m glad to be alive as President of Nigeria to come here and bid farewell to our humanitarian Mother.”
Speaking earlier, Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, thanked the President for coming to the State, despite his tight schedules, saying, “And your esteemed presence means a lot to the people of Plateau State.
“We as people, have been enjoying the support of the first family, particularly the First Lady,” he said, and called on the President to favour Plateau State with another visit and see what his administration is making, in line with his renewed hope agenda, noting that, “The Tin City Buses is the tips of the iceberg; our Administration is doing a lot in transforming Agriculture and other sectors.”
But, the governor lamented that, “Our frustration is the insecurity that has been hoisted on us for decades and the scale of attacks is far from over; and we will continue to hinge on your support.”
The governor thanked the President for appointing so many Plateau sons and daughters; but, like Oliver Twist, demanded for more of it.
Speaking on behalf of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State described the deceased as “devoted Wife and lovely Mother,” and prayed for the repose of her soul.
Professor Nentawe said his mother would have died since 47 years ago, when she was diagnosed of an illness the doctors said surgery will be performed, but even as the chances of survival was 50-50, she survived the operation. After 11 years, another surgery was performed and she survived it again.
He described his late mother as a determined and strong woman, despite her health challenges, adding that, “She used to sell pap and akra, morning and evening, to ensure that we went to the best schools around. That’s the woman the whole Nigeria is here to celebrate today.”
In his Sermon, Reverend Mudimka Seri, who is Chairman of Provincial Church Council Jos, read from the Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, v.11, and titled his message “Time and season for everything,” saying, “There is time to plan and time to harvest.”
Asked what then “time” means to a politician, Reverend Seri asserted that, “It is a moment of election; and to the clergy it is for more congregation; and what time means to farmers is for bumper harvest and, for Jesus, time is eternal life.”
The clergy said God gives time to every human being to minimize, and that human beings should be stewards of time.
The remains of late Nana Lydia Yildawa was finally transported to Dungum, in Kanke Local Government Area of the State, for burial.