SOKAPU, Senator La’ah, Olawepo- Hashim mourn Mailafia, say his death great loss to humanity

The Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has described the death of a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Malafia Obadiah, as a great loss to humanity.

Mailafia died at the National Hospital on Sunday morning at the age of 64.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday, the spokesman of SOKAPU, Luka Biyinnat, said the umbrella body of the Southern Kaduna people was shocked over the sudden news of his death.

According to him, his death was not only a great loss to Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State and Nigeria but also to humanity.

Biyinnat noted that his exploits were in development economics where he cut a niche for himself and touched hundreds of lives as a scholar and astute administrator.

“To us in Southern Kaduna, Obadiah was a patriot who was courageous and spoke to power in the language they understood. He was a scholar of international repute whose works will still remain even after his death.

“We want to extend our condolence to his immediate family in this honour of grief as well as to the Southern Kaduna people over the death of one of our celebrated sons,” he said.

‘Mailafia, a man of integrity’

In the same vein, the senator representing Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, Senator Danjuma La’ah, has said Mailafia, who died in the early hours of Sunday was a detribalized Nigerian and a man of integrity.

He made this known while condoling with the family of the deceased on Sunday.

La’ah described the deceased as someone who showed love to all irrespective of their religious or ethnic inclinations.

The lawmaker said the death of Mailafiya is a great loss to the people of Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and beyond.

The lawmaker prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed.

It will be recalled that Dr Obadiah Mailafia, before his death said he was ready to die for saying the truth than to keep quiet and die like a coward while innocent Nigerians are dying day by day.

‘A great loss to Nigeria’

A former presidential candidate and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, has described Mailafia’s death as a “great loss to Nigeria and his family that he loved dearly.”

According to Olawepo-Hashim, the late former presidential candidate was a diplomat, a political economist, a minority rights crusader and a great voice for the Middle Belt course.

“I just got off the phone with Dr Bitrous Porgu, President of the Middle Belt Forum to confirm the distressing news popping up on my phone. It is true we have lost Obadiah Malafia,” he said.

Olawepo-Hashim recalled that they were screened together by the elders of the Middle Belt in the 2019 presidential run, stating that “he did remarkably well. His voice on national issues which kept on ringing until the last few days will be missed.”

The late Mailafia ran for the office of the president in the 2019 election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and lost to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was born on December 24, 1956 in Randa in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

His father, Baba Mailafia Gambo Galadima, was an evangelist with the Evangelical Reformed Church of Central Nigeria.

He graduated top of his class at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1978 with a B.Sc. Honours Social Sciences (Politics, Economics and Sociology). He also had a M.Sc. from the same institution.

He was the chief economist at the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Department of the African Development Bank Group from 2001 to 2005.

Mailafia was recalled home from the African Development Bank to serve as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

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