What My Husband Told Me About Nigeria Before His Death – Turai Yar’Adua

Hajiya Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua has revealed how her husband, former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua once told her that his relatives would quarrel with her after his death as they would think he had left so much money.

The former first lady who spoke at a memorial lecture in honour of the late president in Katsina at the weekend, also said “the late Yar’adua was not a materialist leader who believed in accumulating wealth. In fact, he shunned material things as his slogan was service to humanity.

“There was a time he said to me that ‘Turai, I pity you because when I die you will have quarrels with my relatives because they will think I have so much money in my possession”, she said.

She said the situation in Nigeria would have been better had the late president survived his ailment because he was a “focused, committed and determined leader”.

“Although my husband was sick for a long time he did his very best for Nigeria. Also as governor of Katsina State, he did his best for the state; he is an honest man who believed in service”, she said.

Extolling his virtues as a leader, Turai said the late President would not give out contract without having the money to pay for it.

“There was a time I approached him that people are complaining that the government was slow. But he said to me people can say whatever they like but I will not give out contract if I have no money to pay.

“The late Umaru was a kind of leader that would go out and monitor projects. I could recall when I used to join him to supervise the projects at Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua University, Turai ‘Yar’adua Hospital and the roads,” she said.