President Bola Tinubu
By JACOB KUBEKA, Abuja –
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico and High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Iyorwuese Hagher, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmad Tinubu for conferring a post humous national honour to John Yima Sen, PhD.
In a statement he issued on Friday and made available to NATIONAL ACCORD, Amb Hagher said, “I wish to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for bestowing the posthumous national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on my dear friend, brother, and compatriot, John Yima Sen, Ph.D.”
According to him, “the recognition of Yima Sen with a national honour is not just a celebration of a life well lived, but also a validation of the many battles he fought in the service of Nigeria. His entire life was committed to the struggle for justice, equity, and national transformation. He was a true patriot, public intellectual, and nation builder.”
He recalled that Yima Sen was a man of phenomenal energy and rare courage, who stood at the frontline of the pro-democracy movement that challenged military dictatorship in Nigeria, serving as Secretary General of the Campaign for Democracy and as a stalwart of the Democratic Alternative.
“He was uncompromising in his advocacy for the marginalized, particularly the Middle Belt and minority ethnic nationalities. He devoted his life to building coalitions across divides and fostering conversations around unity, peace, and the redistribution of power to the people.
“He was also an active member of Women in Nigeria (WIN), affirming his commitment to gender justice and inclusive nation-building. Yima rejected materialism and ostentation in all forms. He lived for noble causes, not petty or frivolous pursuits. He had a large and generous mind, always open to new ideas and inclusive engagement.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Yima served as Communications Assistant to Senate President Chuba Okadigbo during the Second Republic, and as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Shehu Shagari. He was Director of Information in the Aper Aku administration in Benue State and later served as Special Adviser on Research, Policy and Documentation to Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the Fourth Republic. He was Secretary-General of the Middle Belt Forum and later Director-General of the Northern Elders Forum. Internationally, he was Information Adviser at the United Nations Development Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, and a Coordinating Consultant at the International Foundation for Education and Self Help.
“Prof. Sen’s intellectual footprint remains indelible. From the University of Lagos to UCLA and the University of Amsterdam, and later in his academic role at Baze University, he shaped generations of thinkers. He was a voice for the voiceless, a nationalist in the true sense, and a Pan-Africanist who believed Nigeria could only survive through a revolutionary commitment to truth, justice, and service.
“In life, he rejected conformity and materialism. In death, his ideas continue to shine as guiding lights. As I once said in my tribute to him: “Your ideas will not die. They live and will provide more light for millions in the world who are reeling under different interlocking systems of oppression.”
“Yima was not only my friend; he was also my classmate at W.M. Bristow Secondary School, Gboko. We shared early formative years and a common moral vision of a just society. His consistent integrity and fierce pursuit of justice were forged in those youthful years and never wavered.
“This national honour rekindles the hope that our country still values the labours of its true heroes. I therefore thank President Tinubu for this gracious act of recognition which will comfort all of us who carry on the burden of rebuilding a just and equitable Nigeria.
“As we honour Yima, may his legacy inspire current and future generations to dare to be different, to speak truth to power, and to commit to selfless service.”
