Abba Kyari's death and Nigeria's political ramifications »

The fact that Kyari is dead is no longer news. He was a controversial figure and even in death, the controversy over the timeline of his departure of the world was also hazy. What is however clear is that he was one of the victims of the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic ravaging the entire world. It is also clear that he was one of the power brokers of this nation, especially under the current administration. Abba Kyari was loved and loathed in many spheres. That too is without doubt.

This is no surprise because the Octogenarian cut a larger than life figure and the entire country believed he was the string puller and ranks among, if not the sole, decision maker in the current Buhari administration. Some even referred to him as the defacto President of the country.

It is therefore not surprising that emotions – like opinions – are sharply divided on who the person of Kyari was – in terms of vices and virtues. In fact, divisions in opinions and the dislike being entertained in many quarters were amplified by some utterances and publicly stressed opinions by people in the highest level of government including the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari who had a stinging opinion to share at one point about the person of her husband’s chief of staff. He was strongly tied to the machination of Mamman Daura, the famous journalist and uncle of the President.

Whatever happens going forward, Coronavirus as a disease has shaken the entire world to its foundation, taking many lives across the globe and with it, reshaping the social, economic, infrastructural and political lives of nations, including Nigeria in the process. The country’s political trajectory has been massively infected by this virus and going forward, the calculations by the power brokers popularly referred to ‘the cabal’ have been tweaked. The impact on the nation is now different in all ramifications.

Late Major Kyari was no mean man even before he joined the current government of Buhari as Chief of Staff as he was given command of the Nigerian Army’s 5th Battalion in 1966 following the January coup and July counter-coup which was based in the country having joined the Army as an officer cadet in 1959. On 1 October 1966 the men of the battalion, the soldiers primarily being from the north, mutinied whilst on parade and being addressed by Kyari. Kyari’s second-in-command Captain Auna, and the regimental sergeant major were murdered despite being themselves from the northern provinces (as was Kyari). Kyari and the surviving officers were forced to flee the base at Kano. Kyari later became commander of 1 Brigade at Kaduna and was subsequently second-in-command and then commander of the Nigerian Army’s artillery.

Kyari led the Northern delegates to the 1994 National Constitutional Conference, and was appointed Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the conference. After retiring, he was appointed to the Board of Directorate of First Bank of Nigeria, Standard Alliance Insurance and the Merchant Bank of Commerce. He became Chairman of Gamah Flour Mills and of Alif Engineering and Construction.

Tope Oriola, while recounting the circumstances leading to Kyari’s death rightly notes that Abba Kyari fell victim to Nigeria’s comatose healthcare system. Given the focus on elites in Nigeria’s war against COVID-19, it is merely stating the obvious to suggest that Kyari received medical treatment that was unavailable to the average Nigerian.

“A series of structural problems, organizational blunders and interpersonal hubris contributed to Kyari’s death. The first culprit is hubris. Kyari refused to get tested and quarantine himself after returning from Germany. COVID-19 was already a huge problem when he returned from Germany in March 2020. It was already evident that the virus was spreading in Europe, North America and China than anywhere else. Why did he not test and quarantine himself? We will never know. People from extremely religious countries like to assume they are somehow immune to something that in theory applies to everyone. That includes laws, public health policies, queues for goods and services, and orderly traffic, among others. Too many “special” people in a society lead to societal chaos and avoidable tragedies. The picture becomes clear when you had elite status — the Chief of Staff to the President no less!

“The second blunder was organizational. Officials at the airport did not do their job. Given our tendency to worship leaders, this would not have registered on their radar at the airport. Those who should have done their jobs without recourse to status would have melted on seeing the President’s Chief of Staff. They too are culpable. To be fair, subjecting the President’s Chief of Staff to such a routine administrative process could be consequential in a country like ours. Abba Kyari should have been tested, quarantined and closely monitored. He might be alive today if appropriate protocols applicable to other citizens had been followed. When countries ensure that no one is above the law, it is generally for the good of all, including the powerful.

“The third and more structural dimension concerns the healthcare system, which the elite, including Kyari, as a crucial arrowhead, had abandoned. Therefore, at a time of a global pandemic, Kyari could not be flown overseas for treatment. Given the penchant of our elite for medical tourism over headaches, stomach upset and quality of their farts, he would have likely preferred overseas treatment. Media reports indicated that there was no ICU in Abuja. The only available ICU in Abuja was reserved for the president who had come into contact with Kyari. Officials reportedly declined to put Kyari in the lone ICU in Abuja because they were concerned President Buhari might need the equipment. Kyari was therefore flown to Lagos. Valuable time would have been lost in the process.

“Medical experts in Lagos would have undoubtedly given Kyari their best. However, would Kyari have survived if treatment were available at the Aso Rock Clinic? The clinic continues to gulp billions of Naira annually but has no medicine or equipment, according to the First Lady. Given that the Buhari administration had been in power for nearly five years, Abba Kyari’s death is a tragic own goal. Would Kyari have survived if we had used the catering budget for the presidential villa to equip hospitals all over Abuja and the entire country? Would Kyari be alive if we had a sound healthcare system in Nigeria? Why do we spend billions on imported vehicles for legislators and traditional rulers when our healthcare system is dilapidated?

There is no doubt “legitimate questions may be raised about why he went to Germany in the first place given his political portfolio and availability of a substantive minister. Such was Abba Kyari’s influence at the presidency that the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, a retired Major General, wrote to the Service Chiefs to criticize Kyari’s overriding of presidential directives as “reckless and irresponsible”, according to a leaked letter published by Premium Times. He was the key player in the Buhari administration but ultimately the system they failed to develop showed its texture and character. I do not gloat over Abba Kyari’s death. My mother died in December 2018 due to the lack of emergency health line in Ogun State. I write from a position of genuine concern for my country. We are all victims of the kind of society we have built. We all pay a huge price for governmental neglect, incompetence and elite insouciance.

“This is time to reboot the federal government. Governance goes beyond allocating political positions and awarding contracts. It is both an art and a science of solving and envisaging problems, organizing human, material and ideational infrastructure. It is about securing and making life better, increasing happiness and making people prosper.”

In the days ahead, when the Coronavirus Pandemic is finally brought under control, many lessons would have been learnt, even in Nigeria and the country and indeed the entire world would never remain the same.