Two 2nd Republic politicians, Adamu Attah, Wash Pam die
Two prominent Second Republic politicians–former Deputy Senate President, John Wash Pam and former governor of old Kwara State, Alhaji Adamu Attah, have passed. Both died on Thursday.
The first civilian governor of Kwara, Alhaji Adamu Attah, is dead. Attah, aged 83, died on Thursday in his Abuja residence after a protracted illness.
A prince of Ebiraland, the late Attah was a lawyer by profession and was a former Federal Permanent Secretary.
He was buried in his Kuroko, Okene residence at about 5 p.m. according to Islamic rites.
Pam, 73, was said to have died of complications arising from prostrate cancer at the National Hospital, Abuja at about 1.30 pm. Attah, who was 84, also died at the same hospital.
Pam, who was deputy to Senator Joseph Wayas from 1979 to 1983, hailed from Foron district of Barakin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, is survived by two wives and 18 children.
His death was confirmed by one of his sons, Mr. Ganan Wash Pam and his Special Assistant, Mr. Williams Chieshe (Jnr).
'Baba died about one-and-a-half hours ago. He had been battling prostrate cancer for a while now,' Chieshe said in a telephone interview.
Paying tribute to the late parliamentarian, Senate President David Mark described Pam as a democrat par excellence.
Mark, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, also described him as one of the pillars of today's democracy.
According to him, Nigeria has lost one of its unrepentant democrats whom he said was at the forefront of the struggle to return Nigeria to civil rule.
Attah's burial was preceded by a prayer session witnessed by Governor Idris Wada, the Deputy Governor, Yomi Awiniyi, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim and other eminent personalities.
Governor Abdul-Fatah Ahmed of Kwara and Dr Bukola Saraki, the Senator representing Kwara Central, have described the death as a rude shock.
In a condolence message signed by Saraki's Personal Assistant, Bankole Omisore in llorin on Thursday, the senator described the first executive governor of the state as a statesman of repute.
He also described him as a stakeholder in the Nigeria project, whose antecedents were clear in the history of Kwara and Nigerian politics.
He added that: 'though gone, the impact of Alhaji Adamu Attah cannot be under estimated in Kwara politics.'
'Attah's departure was painful but the fact that his wealth of wisdom in the history of Kwara would be missed was more painful.'
He prayed the Almighty Allah to comfort his family and grant the departed soul peaceful rest.
Attah became the first civilian governor of the state 1979, representing the National Party of Nigeria , although he came from a minority ethnic group. Prior becoming governor, he was permanent secretary for the federal Ministry of Finance in 1967, and was in discussions with the Soviet Union over possible development loans.
Adamu Atta is a polo enthusiast, and owner of the Fifth Chukker Club and Resort
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