Adamawa gov’s Chief of Staff dies, Bindow declares 3 day-morning

The Chief of Staff to Adamawa State governor, Abdurrahman Abba Jimeta, has died at 59.

He died in the early hours of Monday while on lesser pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and is survived by his father, one wife and 11 children.

A statement signed by the Adamawa State Information Commissioner, Ahmad Sajoh, said the deceased would be buried in the afternoon in Makkah. The Adamawa State Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla has since declared three day morning starting from Monday the 18th of June 2018for the late Chief of Staff.

Jimeta, who was considered a major force behind Governor Jibrilla, had previously served as Chief of Staff to former governor, Murtala Nyako and Information Commissioner under that administration.

A graduate of Islamic Studies/Education from University of Maiduguri, Jimeta had worked with state government as secondary school teacher before joining MAMSA where he worked for several years.

Born in Jimeta in Yola metropolis, the late chief of staff had been in politics for decades and served as director general for Senator Jonathan Zwingina’s gubernatorial campaign organisation in 2007. He also led Governor Jibrilla’s campaign to victory in 2015 as DG.

In almost every public event, Governor Jibrilla would speak briefly and ask Jimeta to do much of the talking. Many people within the ruling party accuse him of doing the dirty job on behalf of his principal.

But his admirers believe he complemented the governor’s inadequacies especially his perceived lack of courage to face his enemies directly.