Solomon Lar’s Body Arrives Abuja Today, To Be Buried Dec. 13

Solomon-Lar

The body of the first national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and first civilian governor of old Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar, will arrive the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, from a US hospital where he died last October, by 6 pm today

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, chairman of the burial committee, Professor Jerry Gana, said the arrival of the body will be followed by a formal reception by some eminent Nigerians at the airport, followed by a commendation service on Saturday by 3pm at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

According to Prof. Gana, this will be followed by a memorial lecture and tribute of honour at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja by 4pm.

Speaking further, he said a special session of the House of Representatives in honour of the deceased would hold on Tuesday, December 10, adding that this was considered necessary because of his membership of the parliament in the First Republic before he was appointed a minister.

Prof. Gana said the remains would depart Abuja for Lafia and Langtang, Nasarawa State, before they are finally taken to Jos, the Plateau State capital, after service of songs and special tribute at Langtang township stadium on Thursday.

On Friday, December 13 there will be a state funeral service at Rwang Township Stadium, Jos by 10 am before the final burial and interment in his home town.

It will be recalled that federal government set up a burial committee to organise a national burial for Chief Lar in recognition of his role to the development of the nation and democracy.

He was said to have known his time was near and prepared well for his passage, as some described the elder statesman as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria.

Until his death, Chief Lar was said to have lived in a rented apartment and shared his wealth to people around and was not into accumulating property, which explained why he lived in a rented house as national chairman of PDP, even after such a position.

He was also said to have used his Certificate of Occupancies as collateral to collect money from banks, solve people’s problems and then pay later.

Chief Solomon Daushep Lar died on Wednesday October 9, 2013, in a US hospital of what family sources described as old-age related ailment. He was aged 80.