Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, has said that Nigeria needs good institutions and not necessarily good leaders to advance from our present levels of development and status.
He said that except the country gets its constitution, judiciary processes and law making right we may not find the enduring path to development, as people clamouring for good people alone would not help our situation.
Bishop Kukah who stated this Monday in Abuja at the memorial lecture and tributes in honour of late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, and said that the primary function of government is not to build roads and infrastructure but to guarantee freedom and human rights of her citizens.
We’re not today as a country looking for good people to rule. We are looking for good institutions” he stated and emphasised that “the reason why government exists is protection of human rights.”
In his tribute, Vice President Namadi Sambo said Chief Solomon Lar’s death is a painful loss of a great nationalist who believes in strong united Nigeria.
According to him, the history of the country will not be completed without mentioning Lar’s name. He enumerated late Lar’s exemplary life and asked Nigerians to emulate him.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said in his tribute that Lar’s death will be in vain if Plateau State and its people that have witnessed several communal crises did not live in peace.
Chief Lar was the founding national chairman of PDP, and his widow, Ambassador Prof. Mary Lar, said her late husband’s last words were “tell Nigerians I love them, live as one nation one country.”