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Usman Jibrin, former Kaduna governor dies
- Details
- Category: Personality
- Published on Saturday, 10 September 2011 05:37
- Written by Admin
- Hits: 768
Senator Walid Jibrin, younger brother of the deceased, told newsmen that the late Usman Jibrin died in his sleep in the early hours of yesterday. “He prayed Isha prayers with us but couldn’t turn up for Subhi prayers,” Senator Jibrin said.
The late Usman Jibrin was appointed military governor of the then North-Central State (comprising the present Kaduna and Katsina states) in 1975 by the then Head of State General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. He remained governor when the state was renamed Kaduna State in 1976, and continued in office when General Olusegun Obasanjo took over after Murtala’s death.
But Jibrin resigned as governor and retired from the military in 1978 in protest against moves by Obasanjo to reduce the coverage of the Radio Nigeria Kaduna. He left with only N300 in his bank account. Later, the then Information minister Chief Olu Adebanjo, who initiated the idea of reducing Radio Kaduna’s coverage, was sacked by Obasanjo.
Walid Jibrin said his brother resigned as governor while the Supreme Military Council was meeting at Dodan Barracks in Lagos. “He resigned when he heard that Obasanjo wanted to reduce the capacity of Radio Nigeria Kaduna from shortwave to medium wave, so the station would not be heard outside of Kaduna and the country. He resigned immediately for the cause of the North,” Walid Jibrin said.
Born in 1942 in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Usman Jibrin attended Abuja Middle School and Government College Kaduna. He started work at Radio Television, Kaduna before joining the Nigerian Air Force in 1963.
He received training in Canada as a pilot and an instructor, followed by training and conversion courses in Germany on jet fighters. He was also trained in the Soviet Union as a fighter and instructor, and received staff training in the United Kingdom.
Before retiring from Air Force in 1978, he held various positions in the military.
Afterward, Usman Jibrin was appointed chairman of the Green Revolution in Benue-Plateau State. He later became Chairman of Nigerian Productive Research Institute, Ilorin, Kwara State and Chairman of Jos Steel Rolling Mill, from where he resigned after finding “discrepancies.”
Thereafter, he devoted himself mostly to Islamic activities. He was Chairman of Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank. In 2010 he was Chairman of Nasarawa Community Bank and treasurer to the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. He was a member of the board of directors of Jaiz International Bank.
Hundreds of sympathizers attended the funeral prayers, including Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, former governor and now Senator Abdullahi Adamu, speaker of the state assembly Musa Ahmed, members of the National Assembly and the state assembly, former ministers as well as traditional rulers from within and out of the state.
The late Jibrin is survived by four wives, 22 children and several grandchildren. (Daily Trust)
