By PETER TITLE
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace unity and peaceful coexistence as the foundation for national prosperity.
The president made the call during the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, held on Saturday at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) Headquarters Church, Jos.
The ceremony drew top government officials and politicians from across the country, resulting in restricted human and vehicular movement within the Plateau State capital as dignitaries paid their last respects to the late matriarch, who passed away at the age of 83.
President Tinubu, while condoling with the Plateau State Government and the Yilwatda family, paid glowing tribute to the late Nana Lydia Goshwe for her virtues and selfless service to humanity.
Relishing his return to Plateau, the President described Professor Nentawe as an “adopted son,” commending his commitment to national growth and progress.
He urged Christian leaders to always preach unity in their sermons and reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to freedom of religion.
Welcoming the President and other visiting governors, top politicians and dignitaries, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, expressed appreciation to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her show of love and solidarity with the people of Plateau in their time of grief.
He also used the occasion to invite the President to return to Plateau to witness how the state had aligned with his Renewed Hope Agenda through developmental strides across key sectors.
He thanked President Tinubu for appointing a Plateau son, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, as APC National Chairman and for the Federal Government’s support in addressing terrorism and insecurity in the state.
In his tribute, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda described his late mother as industrious, disciplined, philanthropic and deeply committed to the progress of her children.
“As an orphan, I offer myself to the President as his son,” Nentawe said, expressing gratitude to the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, and the government and people of Plateau State for their condolences and support.
In separate goodwill messages, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the representative of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Chief Dapo Abiodun, extolled the virtues of the late Nana Lydia Yilwatda, describing her as a woman of exceptional qualities who left an enduring legacy of faith, service and integrity.