A delegation from the federal government joined prominent dignitaries and family members in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the burial (Jana’iza) of renowned business icon and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, in the Islamic holy city of Madinah.
The Senate has also postponed its scheduled zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments for the North-West region as a mark of respect for the late elder statesman.
Alhaji Dantata passed away on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at 94. By his wishes, he was laid to rest in Madinah on Tuesday.
Alhaji Tajudeen Dantata, son of the deceased, and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, a nephew of the late business magnate, arrived in Madinah on Tuesday morning with the body, accompanied by other family members.
In a statement issued to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, the special assistant to the minister of information and national orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim, confirmed that the federal government delegation departed Nigeria late Sunday and arrived in Madinah early Monday.
Led by the minister of defence and former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, the official delegation included the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata; and Hassan Abdullahi, director of Internal Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), who represented the NSA.
Prominent Islamic clerics accompanied the delegation, including Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, Imam of the Dantata Mosque in Abuja.
Officials from the Nigerian Consulate General in Jeddah joined the delegation led by Ambassador Ibrahim Moddibbo. He was accompanied by Ambassador Muazzam Ibrahim Nayaya and the Defence Attaché, Major General Adamu Hassan, who coordinated the funeral arrangements.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau and the immediate past chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, were present at the burial, alongside the Governors of Kano and Jigawa States, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf and Alhaji Umar Namadi, respectively.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote led other family members and close associates in honouring the late patriarch.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, and Emir Aminu Ado Bayero also attended.
The late Alhaji Aminu Dantata was buried at Al-Baqi Cemetery following Jana’iza prayers after Maghrib at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
His funeral prayer was attended by hundreds of people, who offered prayers for the repose of his soul.
Senate Postpones Constitution Review, Honours Dantata
The Senate has postponed its scheduled zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments for the North-West region as a mark of respect for the late elder statesman and renowned philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who passed away recently.
The remains of Dantata were laid to rest in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
Dantata, who died Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was buried at the Baqiyya cemetery.
During Tuesday’s plenary, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders in the North-West geopolitical zone.
“Given the demise of a very prominent philanthropist and stakeholder, late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, whose burial is taking place in Saudi Arabia, we resolve to observe a minute’s silence in his honour,” Akpabio stated.
He added that the North-West constitutional review session would be rescheduled later, which will be determined in collaboration with regional stakeholders.
Currently, the Deputy Senate President is expected to return from Saudi Arabia before new date is agreed upon.
Despite the deferment in the North-West, the Senate will proceed with the nationwide Zonal Public Hearings on constitutional amendment proposals.
The hearings are slated for July 4 and 5 and will take place concurrently in five other geopolitical zones: Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), and Maiduguri (North-East).
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin emphasised the importance of the hearings, describing them as a vital platform for citizens to engage in shaping Nigeria’s constitutional future.
“These hearings are meant to give Nigerians across all zones the opportunity to make their voices heard on issues that directly affect their governance and daily lives,” he said.
Among the key proposals up for deliberation is the long-standing push for local government autonomy. One of the bills seeks to constitutionally recognise local councils as a whole tier of government with a guaranteed democratic structure and tenure.
A related proposal advocates the creation of a National Local Government Electoral Commission to manage local elections nationwide and minimise state government interference.
The Senate is also considering far-reaching reforms in internal security, including bills proposing the creation of state police forces and state security councils to improve coordination and responsiveness at the sub-national level.
Lawmakers will review six fiscal bills to strengthen public financial accountability.
These include a proposal to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to enforce remittance compliance and another mandating specific timelines for the submission of annual budgets by the president and state governors.
The hearings will also discuss a proposed constitutional amendment to promote gender inclusivity by reserving additional legislative seats for women in both national and state assemblies—a move intended to boost female representation in governance.
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