Former military governor of Rivers State, Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd.), and the Southern Kaduna Elders Consultative Forum, of which he is Chairman, have pledged their loyalty to the administration of Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.

Gen. Lekwot made the pledge in his residence in Kaduna yesterday while receiving Governor Yero, who came to condole him over the death of his younger brother, Mr. Peter Lekwot.

“Our major interest now is to mobilise our people towards the sustenance of peace in the state and to support your administration to succeed. We therefore pledged our loyalty to this administration,” Gen. Lekwot told Yero.

Speaking earlier, Governor Yero said he received with shock news of the death of Mr. Peter Lekwot, who was the Sarkin Mallamai Atyap.

“Mr. Peter Lekwot was an astute educationist, who served in several capacities as teacher, principal and philanthropist par excellence, Lekwot had paid his dues and deserves all the encomiums being poured on him and even more, for the roles he played not only in the deepening of democracy in Kaduna State but peaceful coexistence in the state,” the governor said.

He added that Peter Lekwot’s “death no doubt creates a vacuum difficult to fill, especially at a time when voices of moderation and positive influence such as his are in high demand; but I believe that we should derive consolation from the fact that he lived a good and eventful life, and that he left us legacies and lessons in selfless service and uncommon identification with the common man for all to learn from and imbibe.”

The governor meanwhile condoled Hon. Umar Sani, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to Vice President Namadi Sambo, over the death, yesterday, of his wife, Hajiya Sahura Umar Sani.

Yero in a statement signed by his Director General, Media & Publicity, Ahmed Maiyaki, prayed for God to grant Hon. Sani the fortitude to bear the painful loss.

•Photo: Gen. Lekwot.