Vice President Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar had left permanent footprints in the sands of time and will be greatly missed.
The Vice President gave this eulogy, during the Memorial Lecture and Tribute in honour of Chief Solomon Lar, the Walin Langtang, popularly known as The Emancipator, which held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, as part of the activities leading to his final interment.
The Vice President enumerated various legacies the late political sage left behind in his numerous national assignments; particularly mentioning his developmental strides in his home state of Plateau, when he was the first executive Governor from 1979 to 1983.
He said Chief Lar will be fondly remembered for his mantra, “leaving the state better than we met it”, he therefore tasked the Plateau State Government to “consolidate on his legacies by adopting his popular adage “leaving the state better that we met it” a matter of policy.”
Arc Sambo in his tribute stressed that “Nigeria and Africa have indeed lost an icon, a true son of the soil and a formidable figure in the struggle for the entrenchment of Democracy in Nigeria and Africa.”
While praying Almighty God to grant Chief Lar eternal rest, he charged all those that he left behind and all Nigerians from all facets of life to live the legacies of a man of peace, saying that “He was a shining example of love, truth and righteousness. No doubt, Lar was a political titan and a man of the people whose legacies shall stand the test of time.”
In her remarks the wife of the late political titan, Prof. Mary Lar, said that the last wish of her husband was that Plateau State and the country at large live in peace, she expressed delight with the several eulogies that had been pouring out since his death.
The Memorial Lectures were delivered by the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Archdiocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, and Prof. Isawa Eliagwu. Other speakers at the event were the Senate President, Senator David Mark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governors of Katsina, Nassarawa and that of Plateau States.
Tributes came from the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the BoT Chairman of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakilin Adamawa), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu and Chief Jim Nwobodo as well as Chief Mrs. Kema Chikwe.
Former school mates, family members and several associates paid glowing tributes to Late Chief Solomon Lar, attesting that he was a lover of peace and a man of the people.
