Former President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed pain over the death of former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Nuhu Omeiza Yaqub, saying that the deceased left an indelible mark on the nation’s intellectual landscape through his works in teaching and research. Yaqub died yesterday.
In a statement by Garba Shehu, Buhari in a tribute to the late professor of Political Science who had also been the pioneer vice chancellor of the Sokoto State University, Sokoto, described him as a towering intellectual giant.
“I have known him for many years as a towering scholar whose knowledge, passion, and insights on public policy were taken very seriously by serious administrators. He was a scholar par excellence. May Allah grant him Aljannah,” Buhari said.
In a similar condolence message, the Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, mourned the passage of Prof Yaqub, who was until his demise the chairman of the Institute’s Academic Advisory Board.
In a statement, which he personally signed, Prof. Sulaiman described the death of Prof. Yaqub as “shocking and devastating.”
He paid tribute to the late academic, describing him as a renowned scholar who played a pivotal role in advancing education and research in Nigeria.
Prof. Yaqub’s dedication and expertise, he noted, had impacted the intellectual development of the nation, influencing countless students and policymakers.
Prof. Sulaiman lamented that the highly accomplished scholar and political scientist exited the stage at a time when his vast experience and knowledge would have been invaluable.
The DG further described the loss as a personal one, adding that Kogi State has lost an illustrious academic.
He extended his condolences to Prof. Yaqub’s wife, children, and family, as well as the government and people of Kogi State, academic institutions, and university communities across the country.
Prof. Sulaiman prayed for God to grant the deceased eternal rest in Aljanat Firdaus and to give his family, colleagues, and all who mourn him the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.