Elder statesman, scholar, diplomat, and politician Senator (Prof.) Jibril Aminu died on Thursday in Abuja at the age of 85.
A family member and commissioner of Housing and Urban Development in Adamawa State, Abdullahi Adamu Prambe, confirmed the death of the renowned cardiologist.
The late former minister and senator, who served the country in various, has been out of the spotlight for some years.
Following his demise and in keeping with Islamic rites, funeral prayers (Jana’iza) was offered by Muslim worshippers at the National Mosque in Abuja yesterday. The event was attended by dignitaries, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Interned in Song, Adamawa
Prof Aminu’s remains were received by his family members, associates and mourners at Yola International Airport on Thursday.
His body was brought home aboard a plane with registration 5-KAS which landed at 4:55 pm.
The body of the late Nigeria’s Ambassador was conveyed to Song, 60km travel from Yola, the state capital, for burial.
Family sources told a LEADERSHIP correspondent at the family house that the late elder statesman asked that his body be buried in his hometown, Song,
Prominent Nigerians, led by President Bola Tinubu, governors and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, have mourned his demise.
Life and times
Born in Song, Adamawa State on August 25, 1939, Aminu lost his father at a very early age and was primarily looked after by his mother and his uncle, whom, in one of his last interviews published on Daily Trust in 2016, he described as his hero.
He attended Song Elementary School and later Yola Middle School. He was always the best in class.
He was an alumni of the prestigious Barewa College and recalled being bullied in school.
He, however, got admission to the University of Ibadan where he obtained a medical degree in 1965. His exposure to politics, like his contemporaries, started with student activism which led to his forming the Northern Peoples Club, which interfaced with the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the late Sardauna.
The deceased professor went on to earn a PhD in medicine from the prestigious Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London in 1972 and was also elected as a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science the same year.
He was also senior lecturer/consultant in Medicine and Sub Dean (Clinical) at the University of Ibadan.
Aminu was admitted as a fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians, London, and the West African College of Physicians in 1980.
Between 1974 and 1979, he served as the pioneer executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), leaving an indelible mark. He was referred to as “the driving force behind the creation of the 6-3-3-4 education system” by the commission.
The late professor later became the vice-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri from 1980 to 1985.
In 1991, Aminu served as president of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation and chaired the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) conference between 1991 and 1992.
The deceased was central to the establishment of Modibbo Adama University Yola, Federal College of Education (FCE), and brought NNPC depot in the state.
He mentored many students including Dr Aliyu Idi Hong, a former minister of state for health and foreign affairs.
Aminu was blessed with nine children – four girls and five boys. One of his sons, Murtala, in a 2018 interview with Punch, described him as a doting father, who travelled a lot because of his job.
His politics: bold, controversial
Regarded as one of the intellectual juggernauts in the North, Aminu’s transition into politics saw him become a major force in defining the trajectory of not just his state but the country as a whole.
He was appointed minister of Education and later minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1989–1992) under the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida.
With the transition to democratic rule, Aminu, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He was later elected senator representing Adamawa Central District between 2003 and 2011.
The deceased professor of medicine served on the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) until he left the political spotlight.
What he said
Regarded as fearless and outspoken, the late Aminu canvassed the end to immunity for presidents and governors.
He also argued that governors who defect from their parties should lose their seats. He described them as having no honour.
He was also a delegate to several national conferences including the 2014 National Conference, which he eventually supported after admitting being concerned about its timing.
At the 4th annual Champions Newspaper Lecture series in 2001, Aminu, as guest speaker, questioned the desirability of federalism as a system of government.
What he will be remembered for
– Father of mass communication in the University of Maiduguri
– One of the brains behind 6-3-3-4 education system
– Canvassed against immunity for presidents and governors
– Indigenisation of oil exploration happened on his watch as oil minister
Mourners react
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, elder statesman and renowned cardiologist, Alhaji Maigari Wakili Boya, who said the deceased was an in-law and a distant uncle, described his death as unfortunate and a great loss.
“His death is unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do. May Allah grant him paradise (Jannah),” he added.
Alhaji Sambo Yuguda, a family member, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Friday, said the deceased served the community during his lifetime and lived his life full of accomplishments.
“We pray that God will grant him Jannah; his family and people of Adamawa, accept my condolences,” he added.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also mourned Aminu’s demise, adding that his “contributions to the field of medicine, academia, and the growth of democracy in Nigeria remain legendary, and his demise a huge loss to humanity.
“May his family and friends be comforted, and his soul be granted Aljannah Firdaus. Ameen,” he said on X.
