Special FEC meeting for Yakowa

[MrVan]

By Ben Agande

Abuja—Federal Executive Council, FEC's meeting, yesterday, was dedicated to the memory of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kadua State, former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoyi Azazi, their aides, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal and the pilots, Commander Murtala Daba and Lt. Adeyemi Sowole, who died in the ill-fated military helicopter crash is Bayelsa State, weekend.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who led other members of council to pay glowing tributes to the victims of the crash, described December 15 as a black Saturday in the history of the nation as all the victims served their country selflessly.

Speaking specifically about Yakowa, President Jonathan described him as a different breed of politician, who never exploited ethnic nor religious sentiments for selfish ends and who believed in the unity of the country.

Jonathan said: "The victims are Nigerians that have served this country selflesslly."

For Governor Yakowa, I knew him when he became the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State. I had some interactions with him and since we have been interacting.

"Then I knew him more when the then governor of Kaduna State was moved to Abuja to assist me as Vice President and Yakowa became the governor of the state.

"He was a different class of politician. Most of us who are politicians exploit religious sentiments to divide Nigerians for our own selfish gains. We exploit the North/South divide to divide Nigerians for our selfish gains. But Yakowa was very different. He was gentleman who believed in the unity of this country."

Vanguard Nigeria