President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan have commiserated with the family of former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu.
Mantu died on Tuesday in Abuja.
President Buhari, in a condolence message by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Tuesday in Abuja also commiserated with leaders and members of the National Aseembly, friends and political associates of the deceased.
The president noted that Mantu dedicated most of his life to service of his people.
According to him, Mantu’s legacy of reconciliation and promotion of peaceful co-existence would always be remembered, especially in bringing more harmony in his state and the country at large.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed.
In a similar vein, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, in a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Mr. Ola Awoniyi, described Mantu as one who lived his life to serve his people.
His words: “Mantu had a brilliant political career which he capped with the quality representation he provided the people of Plateau Central District as their two-term Senator between 1999 and 2007.
“As Deputy Senate President, Mantu played the role with great energy and finesse, which earned him the respect and admiration of his colleague Distinguished Senators.
“The former Deputy Senate President lived a life of service to his people and to the entire nation. He left his imprints at the Senate, having served creditably well in his days at the Upper Chamber.”
The Senate President prayed for Allah to rest Mantu’s soul in eternal bliss and to comfort the many people who were saddened by his death.
Mantu was born in Chanso Village, Gindiri District, Mangu local government area of Plateau on February 16, 1947.
He attended Gindiri Demonstration Primary School from 1955 – 1961 and obtained the First School Leaving Certificate.
He worked with the Public Works Department, PWD, Jos, as a Stores Requisition Clerk from 1962 – 1963 before proceeding to the Gindiri Teachers College in 1964.
On leaving Gindiri in 1967, he joined the Nigerian Tobacco Company, Zaria in 1968 as a Quality Checker.
He moved to BEAM, a division of UAC Nigeria as a Kalamazoo Specialist Salesman in 1971.
Mantu holds a B.A. (Hons.) degree in Political Science from the Washington International University.
He was awarded Honourary Doctorate Degrees of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, University of Jos, Madonna University, Okija and University of Applied Sciences and Management Port Novo, Benin Republic.
Mantu joined politics in 1978 and was elected Deputy State Chairman of NPN in Plateau in 1980.
He was a founding member of the Liberal Convention.
Mantu contested for the national chairmanship of the N.R.C. in 1990 but lost.
In 1993, Mr Mantu was the Director General of National Republican Convention Presidential Campaign Organisation.
In 1998, he was elected the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct UNCP and was later elected senator on the platform of the same party.
This election was truncated by General Abdusalam Abubakar’s regime.
On inauguration in 1999, Mantu was appointed Chairman Senate Committee on Information, the position he held till August 10, 2001, when he was elected Deputy President of the Senate.
He was appointed Chairman, Joint National Assembly Constitution Review Committee from 2001 to 2003 and 2003 to 2007 respectively.
He was chairman of Policy Analysis and Research Project, PARP, which metamorphosed into National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS).
Though a legislator, Mantu handled many executive assignments.
Until his death, he was a member of the Board of Trustees, BOT, and National Executive Committee, NEC, of the PDP.
Source: NAN
