Shettima Ali-Monguno: buried

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Shettima Ali-Monguno, who died on Friday, was buried at the Gwange Cemetery in Maiduguri on Saturday.

The burial was preceded by a funeral prayer led by the Chief Imam of Borno, Imam Laisu Ibrahim, at the palace of the Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri.

Thousands of sympathisers, including Gov. Kashim Shettima, former governors of the state as well as former ministers and heads of parastatal agencies attended the event held under tight security at the palace.

Ali-Monguno, an elder statesman, who was also Minister of Mines and Power, Internal Affairs and Education, died at his residence in Maiduguri at the age of 95.

Since his death, condolence messages had poured for Governor Shettima and the people of the state.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State described Monguno a “courageous citizen”.

”He risked his life to speak the truth both to those in power and deviant non-state actors like Boko Haram,” Tambuwal, said in Sokoto, in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr Imam Imam.

He said that at a time when many were afraid to speak against the “murderous’’ Boko Haram insurgents, the deceased was prominent in expressing displeasure on the decimation of “his beloved Borno’’.

”Monguno was a patriotic citizen, also renowned for his philanthropy, especially his contributions to the development of female education in Borno in particular, and the North-East,’’ he said.

Tambuwal condoled with his family and prayed God to give the members the strength to bear the loss.