Buba Mourns Joda’s Passing, Describes His Death as Loss of an Institution in Human Frame

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Member representing Gombi/ Hong Federal Constituency, House of Representatives, Rt.Hon.( Dr.) Yusuf Buba Yakub,has described the passing of the veteran journalist, politician and astute administrator, Ahmed Joda, as the loss of an institution in human frame.

The lawmaker, who regretted the sad loss of the nonagenarian yesterday after a brief illness in Yola, Adamawa State, said the late Super Permanent Secretary and Statesman had yet to empty himself of the wealth of experience and repository of diverse knowledge and extra-ordinary leadership skills and talent for which he was highly renowned before the cold hands of death snatched him away from all those who ought to have benefitted from his profound leadership Administrative gifts.

In a release signed personally by the lawmaker and made available to his media handlers, Saturday, in Abuja, the Adamawa- born Federal legislator commiserated with the Government and people of Adamawa State, the Chairman and members of the Adamawa State Traditional Council, the immediate family of the deceased and indeed, the Federal Government on the loss of a man who in over the past five decades gave the best of himself and time to the development of the Nigerian nation, our people and our bureaucracy.

The lawmaker in his words: “As a fresh Admin or Information Officer in Nigeria’s Civil Service, one of the very first names you will hear and learn to quickly internalise is that of the legendary Ahmed Joda. For some of us, who ventured early into several fields of life, either in search of learning, public service experience or political exposure, baba Ahmed Joda’s name was the benchmark for quality performance and optimum competency across the aforementioned areas.

“In fact, the late Super Permanent Secretary bestrided the entire public service, from State to Federal, like the proverbial colosus, while mentoring and training several of today’s leaders, who never met him in person in the route of service to fatherland.

“It is, therefore, no wonder that baba Joda, even at a very ripe age was on different occasions at the centre of transition from one Administration to another in the history of our nation’s democratic leadership.

“We will not only miss his political sagacity, but his administrative and journalistic prowess at a time the values that drove the above in his day are quite lacking in today’s Nigeria.

“For myself and, on behalf of the good people of Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency, whose mandate I currently hold at the National Assembly, I celebrate the life baba Ahmed Joda lived and the source of inspiration he remains even in death to every generation of our public servants.

“And as indigenes of Adamawa State, we remain ever proud of the many legacies this giant of public service has left for us to cherish in many fields of endeavour.

“We will continue to hold on to his cherished ideals, including the fact that, despite the many years he put in in the service of our nation, he was never associated with any form of corruption, official sleaze or misdemeanor,” the Gombi/ Hong Rep offered.

While praying for the peaceful repose of Alh. Ahmed Joda’s soul, Rt.Hon.Buba, also prayed Allah( SWA) to forgive all his human frailties and grant him aljanat firdausi.

He also prayed Allah to preserve all those the great public servant left behind and grant them the requisite fortitude and strength to bear this irreparable loss.