By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has been described as the pride to the entire people of the North East geo-political zone in particular and the country as a whole.
Governor Bala was responding to the Borno Chief Executive, Babagana Zulum who paid him a condolence visit in Bauchi over the demise of his elder brother, Abubakar Mohammed who passed away last Sunday after a protected illness at the age of 69 years.
“Your leadership has brought pride to all of us in this part of the country of the Northeast. You have done so much. No wonder you are the chairman of the Northeast Governors Forum where you look at all the developmental challenges of the Northeast and Northern Nigeria, indeed the country”.
“You have really shown pedigree in your leadership. This is the leadership style you are showing in Borno state and in Nigeria. The courage you have we try to emulate a little. They call me Kauran Bauchi, but I think you are the Kaura of the Northeast”.
“You dared all the miscreants and charlatans that are bombarding us and today even Mr. President has the pride of being associated with you. You are the most visited person by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that has spoken volumes”.
Senator Bala Mohammed noted that his Borno state counterpart has evaporated Boko Haram in the sub-region and its enclave of Borno in particular by securing the jurisdiction, the epicenter of terrorism and violence in the country.
Mohammed told his colleague, “We are proud of you, we are proud to associate with you. Let me say it to the press, when I intent to run for the presidency, I make sure that the northeast has a say in the leadership of this country”.
“I ask this gentleman, the Governor of Borno, are you running, if you are running I don’t have to run, because I know what you would do, you would do better than me. And still I have that respect for him, he is the beacon of hope, I say one day, I have done my own, maybe he would come and follow me”.
The Borno State Governor, Prof, Babagana Umara Zulum has earlier told his Bauchi state counterpart, “We are here this evening on behalf of the Government and good people of Borno state, and on behalf of my family to commiserate and condole you over the demise of your senior brother”.
Zulum who prayed for the repose of the soul of the decease, also prayed that God will admit him in Jannatul Firdausi. We are here to share our grief over this monumental loss, we pray that God will give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”.
The elder brother to the state governor, Engr. Salmanu Mohammed while responding on behalf of the family, said that late Abubakar Mohammed diligently served the country for 35 years and retired as assistant director with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Engr. Salmanu said, “He decided not to stay in Abuja or Lagos after the retirement, he came back to us here in Bauchi. He established all his businesses within the city, he also established himself as a political pundit. He is also very active during the campaigns of Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to become the governor”.
“He had his structures in all the twenty Local Government Areas of the state. He collapsed on the day of inauguration of the governor on May 29, 2019 and he never come back to his normal self until he died penultimate Sunday, leaving behind a wife and five children, one male and four females”
