Buhari mourns Isa Funtua, says death has created a huge gap

By our reporter| President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night said the death of Ismaila Isa Funtua, his in-law and associate, has created a huge gap.

Funtua died at a hospital in Abuja on Monday night.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said President Buhari noted that the deceased stood by him during his “political journey”.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari received with deep sadness on Monday evening information on passing of his longtime friend and associate, Malam Isma’ila Isa Funtua, who was Life Patron of International Press Institute and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).”

“The President condoles with family members, government and people of Katsina State, and all associates of the former President of NPAN, especially the media industry, on the loss, describing him as “greatly admired and respected’’.

“President Buhari believes the demise of the publisher and businessman has created a huge gap as Malam Funtua consistently stood by him in his political journey.

“The President prayed to Allah for repose of Malam Funtua’s soul, and to grant the family strength and fortitude to bear the loss.”

Mallam Ismaila Funtua, the founding managing director of Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), died on Monday night.

Mallam Funtua who at the time of his death was aged 78, was born in Funtua, Katsina State, and a pioneer student of the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna.
Funtua, who was the Minister of Water Resources in the defunct Second Republic, established the Democrat Newspapers during the military era in Nigeria.

Also, he was trained as an administrative officer at the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria as well as an administrator at Manchester University in the UK.

The late Funtua worked as the Katsina Native Authority as an Administrative Officer and later served in many ministries in the defunct Northern Region
Equally, the Kastina-born entrepreneur was a Manager of the United Nigerian Textile Company, Kaduna.

He served as a minister under ex-President Shehu Shagari, who presided over Nigeria between 1979 and 1983.

The life patron of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria hailed from Katsina like the president.

Funtua will be buried in Abuja on Tuesday.