Wazirin Katagum dies at 96
Ogun poly students ground state capital
The Wazirin Katagum, Alhaji Sule Katagum, has died.
He died Sunday night after a protracted illness at the age of 96.
The late Wazirin Katagum is the father of Chief of Staff to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Architect Audu Sule Katagum.
He was buried in Azare yesterday at 2:00 pm.
Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar and other government officials attended the funeral prayer.
The late Waziri had been ill for quite a while.
He was formerly the Madakin Katagum before he was made Waziri in the early 1980s.
Governor Abubakar in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Communications, Shamsuddeen Lukman Abubakar, condoled Katagum Emirate on the death of the Wazirin Katagum, One student collapsed as hundreds of students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, took to the streets yesterday to protest a delay in writing their examination.
The protest paralyzed economic activities for several hours in Abeokuta, the state capital.
It was observed that the saying he was an embodiment of integrity and selflessness.
On his own, the Walin Katagum, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu, who spoke to our reporter on phone, said, “Katagum Emirate has lost a father figure who worked tirelessly for its development. The Katagum Central Office was established and commissioned during his tenure as the Administrative Secretary of the Native Authority,” he said.
Aliyu who was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Japan, said the late Waziri was the brain behind massive enrolment of children into schools, which he said resulted in having an educated population in the emirate till today.
“When he was the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, he ensured that each of the northern province had its quota in the federal civil service. He was appointed as students got to the gate of the governor’s office, expecting the Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come out to address them, but they were disappointed as the governor sent the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa to address them. The students refused to grant him audience, which allegedly provoked him as he ordered the mobile police to disperse the students, which led to chaos. the head of the Civil Service after independence, we were in secondary school at that time,” Aliyu added.
One of the children of the late Waziri, Abubakar Sule Katagum who confirmed the death of his father on telephone early Monday morning, said his father was an epitome of humility.
Late Wazirin Katagum was the first northerner to become the head of Nigeria Civil Service.
Director of Media and Publicity of NANS, Comrade Olasunkanmi Akinlotan said the students would not relent until the government heeded their call.
“How can a governor ignore the students at a time like this? We are not unaware that one of our students has been whisked to the hospital. We cannot be discouraged. By tomorrow this protest will continue by the grace of God,” Akinlotan said.