An elder statesman and a minister during the Second Republic, Malam Ismaila Isa Funtua, died on Monday in Abuja at the age of 78.
Sources said he suffered a cardiac arrest after taking himself to a hospital for routine checks.
Malam Isa was an in-law and a close associate of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A source close to him told the Daily Trust last night that Malam Isa told his family that he wanted to go and see his doctor but would visit a barber first.
He was said to have driven himself to the hospital where he died.
He would be buried this morning in Abuja, one of the family members said.
Malam Isa was the founding Managing Director of Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
He was the chairman of Bulet International Nigeria Limited (an indigenous construction company).
A renowned business executive and public officer with over thirty years of management experience, he had served as Personnel Manager in United Textiles Limited (UNTL), responsible for over ten thousand staff.
His son, Abubakar, is married to Safina (Lami), a daughter of President Buhari.
He was a pioneer student of the Federal Training Centre Kaduna.
He trained as an administrative officer at the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, and as an administrator at the Manchester University in the UK.
He was the Monitor General of the Course 9, at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
He served at the Katsina Native Authority for seven years as an Administrative Officer.
Buhari, others mourn
In a statement last night, President Buhari said he received with deep sadness, the information on passing of his long-time friend and associate, Malam Isma’ila Isa Funtua, who was Life Patron of International Press Institute and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
“The President condoles with family members, government and people of Katsina State, and all associates of the former President of NPAN, especially the media industry, on the loss, describing him as “greatly admired and respected,” the statement signed by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said.
“President Buhari believes the demise of the publisher and businessman has created a huge gap as Malam Funtua consistently stood by him in his political journey.
“The President prayed to Allah for repose of Malam Funtua’s soul, and to grant the family strength and fortitude to bear the loss,” the statement added.
Also, The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Peoples Media Limited, Malam Wada Maida, said Nigeria has lost a great man in the late Ismaila Isa Funtua.
According to him, “He (the late Funtua) was a person who was highly committed to whatever cause or agenda he set out to achieve.
“And he was also blunt in expressing himself in whatever matters he felt strongly about.
Wada Maida, a contemporary of the deceased, said the late Ismaila Isa “was also a very generous person, whose generosity had impacted every sphere of life that he was involved with, from the media circles to his immediate community.
“Only last Friday (July 17, 2020), a relation of Malam Ismaila phoned me requesting that I join him in expressing appreciation to the deceased, who he said had just given him a house,” he said.
According to him, the late Ismaila Funtua was also respected in international media circles.
“If you see how his views are respected at the highest levels of the IPI, you will really appreciate that it is Nigeria in general, and not just the media industry in the country that has lost a son”.
He concluded by praying that Allah will grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest, and also consoled his immediate family and the entire nation “over such a great loss.”
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