The Kano State Commissioner for Works, Muazu Magaji, has come under fire for celebrating the death of the President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
Magaji came under fire after the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, slammed him.
Ahmad made his position known on Twitter on Saturday.
He said it was even more disheartening that Magaji is also a member of the All Progressives Congress.
The President’s aide tweeted, “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.”
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”.
The translation of the post reads, “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 it should be broken into two.
Magaji wrote, “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.”
Reacting to comments that his post elicited, the commissioner said it was nothing personal.
He said Kyari was only a support staffer at the Presidential Villa and his death should be treated as such.
Magaji wrote, “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!”
