*I’ve lost a pillar in Imam, Governor tells teams of Online Media, Institute
Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Mu’azu Idris Hadejia (Rtd), Chairman of The DEFENDER, led a delegation of the online media and Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria to the Abuja home of Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Saturday, to pay organizations’ condolences to the governor over the demise of his Special Adviser on Media, Mallam Imam Imam.
Imam died in the early hours of Friday following a brief illness resulting from complications of pneumonia. He was buried in Abuja same day after a Janazah prayer at An-Nur Mosque, Wuse 2 in the Federal Capital Territory.
AIG Idris Hadejia told the governor that the teams of The DEFENDER led by him and the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria led by Dr. Innocent Uzombah on behalf of the President of the Institute Chief Oladipo Bailey had visited to sympathize with him over the death of his media aide that they knew was really dear to him while alive.
The retired Police chief then led the rest in prayers for the repose in Al-Jannah of the departed Imam he described as gentleman as journalist and committed as media aide to the governor.
Governor Tambuwal, having in couple of months ago given his commitment to be personally present at the CILRMN/The DEFENDER Abuja event, had arrived at Abuja ahead of the Saturday date.
Responding he said, “We have been talking for months about the event of today and I gave my commitment that Isha Allah it was going to be personally attended by my very humble self, without knowing that today was going to be a different day. And as this happened yesterday (Friday), it became very obvious that it was completely most impossible for me to be present at the event. Mallam Bashir called me, I saw his missed call and I called him back that I already saw the publication of The DEFENDER paying tribute to Imam Imam. And I said Abdulsamod, who represents my constituency directly at the House of Representatives, would come to represent me at that occasion,” he said.
Speaking further, Governor Tambuwal thanked the delegation particularly the AIG, Mu’azu Idris Hadejia, who was in service as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Works, while he was Speaker of the House of Representatives. He also extended his appreciation to the two organizations of The DEFENDER and the Loan and Risk Management Institute.
“I thank you very much for finding me worthy of investiture as Patron and honourary Fellow of the Institute and I promise you of my commitment that I shall be worthy ambassador of the Institute and that I shall give my support for the Institute to move from strength to strength.”
Imam Imam’s death devastated me – Tambuwal
The Governor said, “And you know my brother that has passed on, I must admit that I have been very, very devastated not just because of the fact that we had worked together for seven years but for the fact that Mallam Imam was one of the very best that I have ever come across and I believe that you that I have come across thousands of people in my sojourn in life. He was one of the very best that I have come across in terms of character, in terms of behaviour, in terms of everything. God Almighty endowed him with a lot of wisdom that was beyond his age. I had never had cause to question him and his sense of judgment for the seven years we had worked together.
“He joined me at the age of 34 as the spokesman of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic, which was number four position in the country, and for the seven years we worked together I have never had any cause to suspect him with any staff of office either as Speaker of House of Representatives or as governor in Government House Sokoto. He was always carrying on as a gentleman, as a very jovial and friendly person.
“My consolation is in the fact that he lived a good life, very religious and lived well as a family man. And so I must confess to you that we have lost a very important pillar in Imam Imam and my life can never be complete again. But we take solace in the fact that it is Allah that created all of us and one day, one time, somehow, we shall all go back to Him. We pray to Almighty Allah to admit him in Al-Jannah and give his family the fortitude to bear the loss. And to those of you who find time to come here and pay us condolence, we pray to Almighty Allah to take you safely back to your different destinations. And I thank you very much, Inspectator-General (Mua’zu Idris Hadejia), for coming.
