President Muhammadu Buhari’s close ally, Mallam Wada Maida has slumped and died on Monday. He passed on at the age of 70.
A family source said the late media icon who served as the press secretary to Buhari during the military regime in 1984 died around 10:pm on Monday night.
Until his death, he was the Chairman of Daily Trust Foundation, an arm of Media Trust which engages in humanitarian services.
Credible sources said Malam Maida was in his office yesterday. “He developed complications later at home and slumped. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead,” he said.
Maida, who was also the Chairman, Board of Directors of Peoples Media Limited, the publishers of Peoples Daily newspapers had served as the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The funeral prayers for the deceased would be held today at the Area 1 Mosque in Abuja and the burial will be at Gudu cemetery.
His death is coming barely a month after the death of another close associate of Buhari, Mallam Ismaila Isa Funtua, who died of complications arising from coronavirus.
Another family source told Daily Trust that the deceased returned from Katsina earlier yesterday where he went to sympathize with one of his friends who lost his wife last week.
Maida who was born on March 5, 1950, celebrated his 70th birthday this year.
During the celebration, President Buhari had in a congratulatory message said the former NAN MD achieved a lot in journalism and public service. Buhari added that Maida’s contributions to the growth of journalism in the country remain commendable, especially his foray into publishing.
Daily Trust recalled that in June 2019, Maida was elected to the Executive Board of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom.
The election was conducted at the last IPI World Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.
Late Maida attended Rafindadi Primary School, 1958 – 63; Government College, Katsina, 1964-68; London School of Journalism, 1970; Nigerian Institute of Journalism, 1971-72; Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, 1972-73; Aberdeen College of Technology, UK, 1975-77 and Pacific Western University, 1991.
He worked as Information Officer, Press, Kaduna State Ministry of Information, 1971-78; Editor, News Agency of Nigeria, 1978; Zonal Editor, 1978-81; Foreign Correspondent, 1981-84; Chief Press Secretary to Head of Federal Military Government and commander-in-Chief, 1984-85.
Between 1985 and 1994, he was Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria before he became the managing director of the media outfit. (Daily Trust)
