Conference Delegate, Dambatta is Dead

Alhaji Magaji Dambatta

By Chuks Okocha in Abuja

As officials of the National Conference are winding down activities at the secretariat, another sad news of the death of a delegate was received yesterday.
Alhaji Magaji Dambatta who came on the platform of Socio-political/Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups, from the North-west geopolitical zone died yesterday at the Garki General Hospital, Abuja, where he was taken after an unsuccessful medical trip abroad.

An indigene of Kano State, Dambatta was born in 1931. He attended the Bayero University in Kano and worked as a Senior Reporter and Northern Regional Editor of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). He was a Senior Information Officer in the Northern Nigerian Government and an Information and Public Relations Officer in the Regions Agent General’s office in 1961.

The late Dambatta was also a Chief Information Officer in the Northern Region and Reporter and Editor of the Daily Comet in Kano between 1950 and 1953.
He was a minister in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC between 1973 and 1978 and later a board member of Daily Times.

A seasoned media guru, Dambatta worked with the Kano State Broadcasting Corporation, Triumph Publishing Company, Federal Housing Authority and Nagarta Radio.

He was also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Arewa Consultative Forum, founding member, Northern Elements Progressive Union, recipient of Medal of Merit of the Government of Egypt (1961) and member of the Presidential Advisory Council (2010).

Reacting to his death, the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, said he was deeply distressed by the sad development.
On behalf of the conference secretariat, Justice Kutigi expressed his deep condolences to the family of Dambatta and prayed that God receives his spirit and grants his soul sweet repose.

Dambatta’s death was preceded by those of Hamma Misau (a delegate on the platform of the retired police officers), from Bauchi State on March 27; Dr Mohammed Jumare (a delegate from Kaduna State) who died on May 5, Professor Dora Akunyili (a delegate who represented Anambra State) on June 7 and Professor Mohammad Nur Alkali (a delegate from Borno State) who died on August 1.