Buhari says the death of his longtime friend and associate will create a huge gap.
Ismaila Isa Funtua, a millionaire businessman and close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, has died.
Funtua, a minister in Nigeria’s Second Republic, died after a brief illness on Monday, July 20, 2020.
Funtua’s son, Abubakar, is married to President Buhari’s daughter, Safinatu.
President Buhari described Funtua as a longtime friend and associate who consistently stood by him in his political journey.
He said his death will create a huge gap, according to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Monday.
President Buhari’s Close Ally Ismaila Isa Funtua Is dead
The deceased was one of those rumoured to belong to a cabal of associates who influence key decisions made by Buhari’s administration.
In January, Funtua expressed his disagreement with the fact that ‘cabal’ was being used in a derogatory sense by Nigerians, and said he didn’t belong to one.
“What is cabal? In short I think it means kitchen cabinet, people that you trust.
“People you believe will not deceive you, that they can do things in the interest of the country,” he said.
Funtua, 78, was the founder of Bulet International Nigeria Limited, an indigenous construction company.
He was also the founding Managing Director of Democrat Newspaper, and served as President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
He will be buried on Tuesday, July 21, according to Islamic rights.
Pulse.Ng
