President Umaru Musa YarAdua: 7 Notable Legacies of An ABU Icon

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Nine years ago, precisely 5 May 2010, one of the greatest Abusite of all time, President Umaru Musa YarAdua breathed his last. The Katsina-born graduate of chemistry from the great Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) Zaria died after suffering from Pericarditis.

Despite the many intrigues that trailed his sickness and eventual death, President Umaru Musa YarAdua is still well respected and acknowledged for many changes in the nation’s polity. This is despite the fact that he was in office for just three years.

President Umaru Musa YarAdua
Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
ALSO READ: Umaru Musa YarAdua: The 13th President of Nigeria

Below are some of the changes late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua made for which he remains beloved:

Reduction of fuel pump price.

President Umaru Musa YarAdua is the first Nigerian leader to carry out the downward reverse of hike in fuel pump price. As soon as he was inaugurated on May 29, 2007, one of his first actions was to reduce fuel price from N75 to N65. This act was widely praised by Nigerians.

Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.

The distinguished Abusite initiated the Niger-Delta Amnesty Programme which now has hundreds of youths in the oil-rich Niger Delta empowered. This was contrary to the popular notion that he would clamp down on the restive youths who were blowing oil installations for their grievances. The program was well-received and doused tensions in the region, thereby shoring up oil production with many of the ex-agitators rehabilitated.

Abuja-Kaduna rail route.

Though he never lived to see its completion, President Umaru Musa YarAdua initiated the Abuja-Kaduna rail route. Thankfully, President Muhammadu Buhari went on to commission the project in July 2016.

President Umaru Musa Yaradua initiated a New Minimum wage.

Workers would remember the late President for initiating the move that led to the N18,000 wage on February 22, 2011 when the Senate approve the new wage.

It was Yar’Adua who inaugurated the Presidential Committee on National Minimum Wage headed by Chief Justice Alfa Moddibo through the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed. The new wage was approved by his successor President Goodluck Jonathan following recommendations of the committee.

Dredging of River Niger.

After 40 years, Yar’Adua recommended the dredging of the River Niger, which he couldn’t sadly see through until his demise.

Declaration of Assets.

He had the honour of being the first Nigerian leader to declare his assets. He declared he had ₦856,452,892 (US$5.8 million) in assets, ₦19 million ($0.1 million) of which belonged to his wife. He also had ₦88,793,269.77 ($0.5 million) in liabilities. His plan, clearly, was to set a good example for public office holders and discourage corruption.

Release of Lagos councils’ funds.

For almost four years, former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to release federal allocations to Lagos state, claiming the creation of 37 Local Council Development Authority (LCDAs) by former Governor Bola Tinubu was a misnomer. But Yar’Adua, within months of assumption of power, reversed the widely criticized presidential order and released all the withheld allocations, running into billions, to Lagos.

By Sunday Oguntola


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Chila Andrew Aondofa

Founder/Team lead at TheAbusite.com | Abusite | Entrepreneur | Activist | Humanitarian | All Inquiries to info@theabusites.com. SMS/WhatsApp +2349015751816

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