By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang yesterday renamed the Plateau State University after the late Solomon Lar.

He also declared three days mourning in the honour of the late political icon between Wednesday December 11 to Friday December 13, 2013.

Solomon Lar

In addition to that, the governor equally declared 13th of March every year as public holiday in the state in a mark of honour to the late politician.

The Governor announced this at a reception organized shortly after the arrival of the corps from United State of America.

He said the state government took the decision to honour the late Lar in recognition of his immense contribution to the state as the first civilian governor of the Old Plateau State and the life of sacrifice he lived for his people and Nigeria as a whole.

”We have all gathered today to receive  Baba back home because of what Baba means to Plateau State and Nasarawa states, which he governerd when the two states were one. That is why Nasarawa State participating in this burial fully, bauchi state is also participating in this burial fully.

I want to take this opportunity to announce that and declaring three days of mourning from 11-13 December in Plateau State. I am also declaring the day of the burial, 13 of December, a work free day in Plateau state as Solomon Lar’s Day.

We have decided in Plateau state to honour Baba in a special way and for this reason, I am renaming the Plateau state University ”Solomon Daushep Lar University”.

In his remarks, the President, represented Blythe Minister of federalCapital Territory, Sen. Bala Mohammed derived the let Lar as a stateman and a legendary, who came and conquered, who brought peace to bear in the life of so many Nigerians.

”It is indeed a coincidence that We are receiving here a great man in the federal capital territory Abuja when another great African, President Mandela died.

It is not a usual coincidence because they have  fought gallantly, they have brought emancipation but peacefully without violence. They brought reconciliation to the table.

Today, we are witnessing a South Africa that is free of rancor and division. Today we are celebrating a great man, Who was the first Chairman  of our party, which has grown from strength  torrents. We are else rating peace and coexistence.

In  his remarks, the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur described Lar as an icon of Nigeria who will be missed by all.

”He was a great son of Nigeria. He was a light in the political Ireland and we will miss him,” he added.

The body arrived from a US hospital, aboard British airline, where the body had been since October 9 he died.

According to Prof. Gana, the arrival of the body will be followed by a service of songs at his Mobo residence, Maitama. This will be followed by a commendation service on Saturday by 3pm at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

This will be followed by a memorial lecture and tribute of honour at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja by 4pm.

On Tuesday, December 10, a special session of the House of Representatives in honour of the deceased by 11 am. This he said, was considered necessary to honour him as a member of the parliament in the first republic before he was appointed a minister.

The same day, the body departs Abuja for Lafia and Langtang, Nasarawa State before 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 him in recognition of his role to development of the nation and democracy.

He was said to have known his time was near and prepared well for his passage. 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, the late elder statesman died on Wednesday October 9, 2013 in a US hospital of what family sources described as old-age related ailment on Wednesday. He was aged 80.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Ade Adefuye and his Canadian counterpart, Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe, had earlier thrown their weight behind the burial.