The members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Bamanga Tukur, paid a condolence visit to the Abuja home of the pioneer chairman of the ruling party, Solomon Lar, only to be shocked that the late politician was merely a tenant there.
Mr. Lar died in the United States on Wednesday at 80. He was the first civilian governor of the old Plateau State, comprising the present Plateau and Nasarawa. He also served the country in other capacities, including Police Affairs Minister under the military administration of Sani Abacha before he became the founding PDP National Chairman in 1998.
An aide of the late politician, Danladi Wuyep, a former ambassador, told the NWC members during the condolence visit that he (Mr. Lar) did not have a private house in Abuja.
Mr. Wuyep explained that the duplex Mr. Lar and members of his family lived in Maitama District, Abuja, was not only a rented apartment, but that he was already having challenges in paying the rent before his demise.
The aide added that he and other family members, whose names he did not mention, were planning to see Mr. Tukur, over matter before the death of Lar abroad.
Earlier, the PDP chairman said he received with shock the news of the death of Mr. Lar, whom he described him as one of Nigeria’s greatest nationalist.
“It is with shock that I received the shattering news of the passage of one of Nigerian’s greatest nationalist Chief Dr Solomon Lar,” Mr. Tukur said.
“Chief Solomon Lar has been a close friend and an associate, to me politically for a long time now, he was open minded, fearless, dogged, and a resolute fighter for the right of the oppressed and the less privileged.
“A great family man and disciplinarian, Lar was a dependable husband to his spouse and a loving father who cherished his children.
“He did not spare anything in given his children the best training and education”.
He also noted that the late elder statesman was one of those who challenged certain policies of the military regime at that time despite the dangers to their lives and property which such divergent views posed. “Chief Lar stood to be counted among other nationalists and brave statesmen who refused to keep quiet while the nation was getting close the precipitate.
“It was his group which midwife the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Lar was one of the founding fathers of PDP and our pioneer Chairman.
“He also led the PDP to electoral victories in 1999. In a sense, Chief Lar laid the foundation for the strong resilient and vibrant political party which the PDP is today,” the PDP chairman said.
Mr. Lar’s daughter, Beni, who is a member of the House of Representatives, said the father lived for the peace and unity of the country.
She challenged the PDP leaders to carry on with this legacy, even within the PDP family.
Meanwhile, a businessman and politician, Arthur Eze, who was also on a condolence visit to the Lar family when the PDP delegation came, promised the family that he would buy the same apartment for the children of the deceased.
“I am paying for the house, don’t border yourself”, he said.
Mr. Eze, who hails from Anambra State, extolled Mr. Lar’s virtue, adding that the late politician assisted him when he was governor of Plateau State.
He described Mr. Lar as a detribalized Nigerian who was willing to lend a helping hand to the down trodden.
“I came to him from Enugu, he never knew me before and he gave me the contract for the building of a television station. The first money that touched my hand came from him. He is a different human being,” he said.
culled:247Naijagossip
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