BREAKING: Ganduje Sacks Kano Commissioner For Celebrating Kyari’s Death

BY CAMI EZENWA

Do not speak ill of the dead is a common saying on Nigerian soil but technocrat in the current dispensation who probably did not reckon with the saying has paid with his job.

He is no other than the Kano State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mu’azu Magaji, who just been sacked for celebrating the death of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

The Director-General, Media and Communications, Kano State Government, Salihu Yakasai, made this known via his Twitter handle, @Dawisu, twitted:

“H.E @GovUmarGanduje has relieved the appointment of the commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Mu’azu Magaji with immediate effect following his unguarded utterances against the person of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.”

Earlier, the Kano commissioner had taken to his Facebook page to celebrate Kyari’s demise, describing it as freedom for Nigeria.

Writing in English and Hausa, Magaji stated, “Win win… Nigeria is free and Abba kyari ya mutu a cikin annoba… Mutuwar shahada in Har da Imani mutum ya cika”.

In other words, “Win win… Nigeria is free and Abba Kyari has died in the epidemic… the death of a martyr… if he is a believer, the person is complete.”

In a subsequent post, the commissioner said the office of the chief of staff to the President is too powerful and should be split

In his words: “For the good of Nigeria and Mr President… The CoS office should be split… A PPS (principal private secretary) and a humble manager of his office as CoS… It is currently too powerful for a non-elected official.”

“Nigeria is bigger than any individual… While praying for the president’s late support staff… Ours is to prevent a repeat of his non accountable domineering era!

“In institutional democracy no individual is bigger than the state… Our interest is to get equity and capacity in highest position of power. It’s not personal!

“I am not a hypocrite and I won’t pretend! While at personal level I pray Allah grant Abba Kyari Jannah… I sincerely believe Nigeria needed a better CoS period!”

And almost immediately, trouble followed.

The first indication of trouble for the commissioner was when the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, slammed him for what many have regarded as unguarded and uncharitable to the dead, and the sensibilities of his family.

Ahmad twitted:

“It can be easily overlooked when some minor misguided people celebrate Malam Abba Kyari or anyone’s death, but when it’s a member of Kano Executive Council, a commissioner it would be hard to do the same, Engr Magaji’s action was irresponsible, for God’s sake he is a stakeholder.”