Ex-Adamawa Governor Abubakar Michika, 77, dies Saturday

From Umar Dankano, Yola

The first civilian governor of Adamawa State, Abubakar Michika, who has been in coma for several days at a Federal Medical Centre in Yola, died on Saturday at the age of 77.
A press statement from his family issued in Yola yesterday announced that Late Michika died Saturday evening at around 7:25pm at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC Yola, after a protracted illness.
The late former governor was buried on Sunday after Zuhr prayer, at 1:30 p.m, according to Islamic rites.
It was reported earlier by some media houses that one of his sons, Hafiz Saleh Michika, had been complaining to the state authorities that his father needed to go for medical check-up. He said the state government had also refused to pay his pension.
According to PREMIUM TIMES report, Hafiz said Governor Mohammed Jibrilla visited his father on Saturday, promising to do something. He, however, stated that “even when he visited us, time was running out on the former governor if he must live.”
Reacting to the development, Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla described him as an industrial and peace loving personality.
Jibrilla said his demise is a national lost due to his international repute.
Mr. Michika, born in 1941, was the first civilian governor of Adamawa State, from January 2, 1992 to November 17, 1993. He was a member of the then governing National Republican Convention (NRC) in the state.
He worked with the British Bank of West Africa from 1966, then John Holt Company before joining the politics.
He was born in Michika, headquarters of the Michika Local Government Area in Adamawa where he did his primary school before moving on to Yola Middle School (now known as the General Murtala Mohammed College Yola) for his secondary education.
He had four wives and is a father to 38 children – 17 boys and 21 girls – 99 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.