President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, reproached politicians who exploit religious and ethnic sentiments for personal gains and hidden agenda.
Dr. Jonathan said this at the weekly Executive Council meeting as he extolled the late Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa and the former National Security Adviser, Andrew Azazi.
The council rescheduled all memos for discussion to January 9, 2013, in honour of the prominent Nigerians and others who died in Sunday’s helicopter crash. They include two aides, Dauda Tsoho and Mohammed Kamal; and the pilots, Muritala Daba and Adeyemi Sowole,
In his speech, the President spoke briefly about the late Yakowa and Azazi.
On the former, the Commander-in-chief said: “All the victims are Nigerians that have served this country in various capacities. 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. 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 north-south divide to divide Nigerians for our selfish gains. But Yakowa was very different. He was a gentleman who believed in the unity of this country,” the President said
On Azazi, the President noted that he met him in 2004, when he was serving as the Director of Military Intelligence.
“From that time, we started interacting. He was made Chief of Defense Staff in 2007 when I was Vice President to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. I also made him the National Security Adviser when I became the President.
“I saw him as somebody who meant well for this country. The gentleman has worked very well for this country.”
Jonathan, on behalf of the Federal Executive Council, offered condolences to the families of the deceased, Kaduna and Bayelsa States.
He also announced that he would lead a government delegation to the burial on Thursday.
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