By Barth Ikiebe
Nigeria’s business mogul and philanthropist, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is dead.
The Tafida of Adamawa died this Saturday in his residence in Abuja after a brief illness.
This is contained in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja by his media aide as then National Chairman of The People’s Democracy Party PDP, Chief Oliver Okpala with the consent and approval of his first son, Rt. Hon Awwal Tukur and his first daughter, Lami.
Chief Okpala explained that the body of the elder statesman will be flown to Adamawa immediately for necessary burial arrangements in keeping with the Isalamic rights and injunctions.
Sympathisers. close relations, political associates of the elder statesman have already thronged his residence in Abuja to pay their last respect to the departed hero of Nigeria and Nigerian politics.
Reacting to his father’s death, his eldest son, Rt Hon Awwal Tukur, said that it has happened according to the will of Allah, the greatest and most merciful.
He said that the family will take solace on the exemplary life their father lived and the monumental legacies he bequeathed to posterity while alive.
In his life time, Alhaji Dr Bamanga Tukur was so great that he became the first African to address the United Nations Assembly in New York as a private person and non head of a country or government.
He was in business as an acclaimed investor, entrepreneur and technocrat with ownership of multiple business conglomerates to his credit.
Alhaji Tukur grew up to become the chairman of the African business umbrella the African Business Round Table, ABR.
Dr Bamanga Tukur served Nigeria in different executive capacities as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and later as Chairman.
Under his leadership most of the ports serving Nigeria today were built.
He was elected as the governor of old Gongola state which is now split into three States.
He also served as a Federal Minister.
Alhaji Dr Bamanga was the National Chairman of the PDP who brought sanity, progress, electoral victories and political decorum to the party.
He died at the age of 90 and would have celebrated his 91 years on earth in two days time.
Alhaji Dr Bamanga Tukur will be missed by a greater population of Nigerians whom he taught politics, governance and business.
He is survived by his children and many grand and great grand children including Rt Hon Awwal Tukur, who is the Secretary to the government of Adamawa state.
