Vatsa’s family begs president for state pardon

Family and well-wishers of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, have gathered in his home town, Gulu Vatsa in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, to celebrate his 83rd post-humous birthday.

They have pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to grant the late General a State pardon.

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Major General Vasta was executed over an alleged coup in 1983.

The children of the late General, led by his son, Mohammed Jiya Vatsa, returned to the community, 35 years after the execution of their father to mark their father’s 83rd birthday with the donation of an ICT Hub and exercise books to Government Day Secondary School, Gulu.

The event started on Friday in Abuja with a special prayer session and recitation of some of his literary works by the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja chapter.

Named “The late General Mamman Vatsa ICT Hub”, the ICT centre equipped with computers and solar power inverter for 24 hours power supply is expected to help broaden the students’ knowledge of information and communication technology.

The family said the donation of the ICT hub was part of their contribution to the educational development of the community in order to keep the legacy and vision for education of their father alive.

The former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Niger State, Jonathan Jiya Vatsa, who spoke for the family, said their late father and brother who was executed in the alleged coup of 1983 would have turned 83 last Friday, December 3rd, if he was alive, adding that the family decided to use the accession to keep his dreams and legacy alive.

He however used the occasion to appeal to President Buhari to grant the late General Vatsa a state pardon to enable the family do more things in his honor, pointing out that “as things are now, there a limit we can go because he has not been pardoned”.

The chairman of the occasion and former Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Isah Yahaya Vatsa, in his remarks, said the home coming of late General Vatsa’s children to identify with the community showed that the vision of the late General was still being kept alive.