President Yar’adua passed away on the 5th May 2010. He was succeeded by his then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan who ruled till 2015 before losing election to former military Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari.
Here are some of his outstanding achievements
- The first Nigerian President to offer himself as a servant leader: In his inaugural speech, 29th may, 2007 he said ” I will set a worthy personal example as your president…. To that end, I offer myself a servant-leader. I will be a
- Nigeria’s First Graduate President
- Nigeria’s first president to declare his assets publicly
The First Nigeria president to declare his assets publicly. On 28 June 2007, the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua publicly declared his assets and that of his wife.
This disclosure, which fulfilled a pre-election promise he made, was intended to set an example for other Nigerian politicians and discourage corruption
- Reduction of fuel price from around ₦75 per litre to ₦65 per litre in June 2007.
In response to public outcry and to alleviate the burden on ordinary Nigerians, Yar’Adua’s government took a significant step to reduce the price of fuel.
To reduce the fuel price, President Yar’Adua’s government embarked on a subsidy program, where the government provided financial support to oil marketers, allowing them to sell petroleum products, including petrol, at a reduced rate. This subsidy effectively lowered the price of fuel for consumers.
Under this initiative, the government reduced the pump price of petrol from around ₦75 per litre to ₦65 per litre in June 2007. The move was welcomed by the Nigerian populace, as it provided some relief from the high cost of transportation and goods, which were directly impacted by fuel prices.
- Smooth Executive-Legislative relationship
The late Yar’adua is remembered as an advocate and proponent of the separation of power.
This was the reason why he was described as a decent politician whose administration did not suffer from executive-legislative tension in the Fourth Republic.
- Return of Lagos local government funds
The late President Yar’adua is remembered for releasing the local government statutory allocations of Lagos State seized by the previous administration who had refused to release the funds despite court judgement in favour of Lagos State.
- Creation of Amnesty and Rehabilitation Programme
Yar’adua stabilised the nation and ensured the return of peace in the Niger Delta by granting pardon to former agitators through the establishment of Amnesty and Rehabilitation Programme.
The militants used the window of peace created by Yar’adua to surrender their arms.
The Amnesty Programme of Yar’adua sent hundreds of youth, particularly those that took arms against the state abroad for studies and training.
This single action saw an unprecedented improvement in the performance of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The history of the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta will not be complete without mentioning the name of the late Yar’adua whose administration made the feat possible.
- The triumph of Rule of Law
The late Yar’adua was nicknamed Mr Rule of Law because of his favourable disposition to the judiciary.
Under his administration, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost states like Edo, Ondo, and Osun in court.
- Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais Electoral Reforms Committee
His administration is remembered for constituting the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais-led Electoral Reforms Committee which made far-reaching recommendations that has made positive impact on the country’s electoral process.
- Dredging of River Niger
The ambitious project to dredge River Niger which was abandoned for decades was pursued by the late Yar’adua.
- Expansion of Kubwa and Airport Expressways
The administration of the late President Yar”adua is remembered for the expansion of Kubwa and Airport Expressways, a project which was completed under the administration of former President Good luck Jonathan.
The airport road was named Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway after its completion
- Rail roads
Yar’Adua initiated the Abuja-Kaduna rail route
