The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has described the death of a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, as shocking.
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of SDP, Amb. Rufus Aiyenigba, the party said history will surely be kind to Mailafia as a “Nigerian patriot who had a big dream for Nigeria, for living for his ideals and died with his hand on the plough.”
Aiyenigba stated that the deceased, who served the country meritoriously as a foremost Economist, is unarguably one of the finest Nigerian technocrats, public intellectuals and brightest minds of his generation, and was considered widely as a great national asset.
“He was a true Nigerian patriot who got deeply steeped in, and sold to the struggles for building a good country. His idea contributions and personal exertions in the pursuit of engendering a good society for all Nigerians are quite remarkable.
“In his quest for national transformation, sustainable development and the betterment of the Nigerian situation, this acclaimed international scholar and technocrat joined the Nigerian politics and became a presidential candidate in the 2019 general election. His politics and national value espousals were of refreshing mold; they were distinctly elevated beyond the realm of religion and ethnic jingoism. He was a loud and strong voice of advocacy for good governance.
“He was much loved by millions of Nigerians for his seminal works, gusto, the content of his character, for admirably demonstrating undiluted love for country, and for consistently speaking truth to power.
“As a man of zeal, passion and courage of conviction, he never hid his face in the crowd, but remained gallantly committed to noble ideals and the promotion of the true interest of the country, particularly the enthronement of social justice and the dispensing of equity and fair deal to all – values that are consistent with the ideology of our party, the SDP,” he said.
The party condoled his immediate family, government and people of Kaduna, his home state, the nation’s third sector which he worked with closely, the academic and league of professionals on the great national loss that Mailafia’s death is.
