Barnabas Bantex, the former deputy of Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has died.
Mr Bantex, who served in the position from 2015 to 2019, was a dependable man of brilliance and imagination, according to Mr El-Rufai in a statement on Sunday.
“It’s a very sad day: In Bantex, I have lost a dear friend and partner in the service of Kaduna State. In the midst of trying times, I have received with utter sadness news of the departure of my friend and brother, His Excellency Barnabas Yusuf Bala (Bantex),” El-Rufai’s statement read.
“From our days as undergraduates in the 1970s to our practice as professional colleagues in the construction industry and eventually partners in a governance project, Bantex was consistently a dependable man of brilliance and imagination. He believed in the potential of our state and in the capacity of our people to work together for progressive attainments.
“Together, we took on the task of providing new leadership for Kaduna State in 2015. He brought to his duties as Deputy Governor during our first term his unique insights as a politician with experience in navigating the diversity of our state. Bantex radiated hope and optimism in the future of our state, even when the circumstances were dreary.”
The governor said he had spoken with the bereaved family and conveyed his administration’s condolence.
“We shall work closely with his family to grant a befitting farewell to a man who gave so much to this state even when hobbled by ill-health,” he added.
El-Rufai picked a female Hadiza Balarabe as running mate in 2019 and was re-elected.
