By Tunde Olusunle
This is so very painful, a national tragedy.
This time last week, the North Central Peoples’ Forum, NCPF, chaired by Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni, visited the Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, to brief him about the activities of the body. The NCPF, by the way, is planning a Summit on security, scheduled for September.
I was in that team as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Publicity of the group.
Other members of the delegation included Engr Sanni Ndanusa (former Sports Minister); Arc Gabriel Aduku (former Minister of State for Health); Rear Admiral Christopher Ehanmo, rtd, (former Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Navy); Khaleel Bolaji, mni, (Secretary of the NCPF), among others.
Senator Mantu was conspicuously missing from the visiting delegation, first as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Forum and also as a revered leader from the host state, Plateau.
His absence was ascribed to his being excused to attend to personal matters, especially since the elder statesman Senator Useni, a most capable host, is also a distinguished son of Plateau State.
We’ve just lost one of our most colourful politicians, who acquitted himself brilliantly in the polyvalent capacities he served this country.
On the sidelines of one of the NCPF’s meetings, he was discussing the prospects of his biography with me.
This is a big blow to the nation.
▪︎ Dr. Olusunle is Chairman of the Publicity Sub-Committee of the North Central Peoples’ Forum, NCPF
