Gov Yusuf pays tribute as Sidi Ali buried in Kano

Second Republic lawmaker and ace Nigerian journalist, Sidi Ali, was buried in Kano yesterday. 

Ali died on Thursday evening at the age of 86.

Mourners trooped to Zauren Tudu in Sharifai Quarters in the ancient city to console his family members.

The Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in a condolence message, described the late Ali as a trusted public servant who made sacrifices to ensure that Nigeria remains a united and indivisible country.

In a statement signed by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf acknowledged the positive contributions of the deceased as a senator in the Second Republic in shaping the parliament and the overall development of democracy in the country.

The governor extended condolences to his families and prayed for the repose of his soul.

He prayed for those he left behind to have the courage and fortitude to bear the loss.

The late Ali was a prolific writer on national dailies and was one of the Nigerian journalists who covered the civil war.

In his later life, he was a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a member of the party’s Elders Committee in Kano State.

The elder statesman spent years serving the Nigerian International Press Centre, Ministry of Information and National Broadcasting Commission, among other critical institutions.

Ali was born in Kano but travelled to Ghana, where he met the country’s political leader, Kwame Nkrumah, who arranged for him to travel to London and later, the United States to further his education.

In an interview with Daily Trust in 2022, Sidi Ali narrated how he was arrested and detained in Ghana before he was released to the Nigerian high commissioner.

He was arrested and detained in Nigeria under General Yakubu Gowon for writing an article against the federal government.

Ali’s wide travels influenced his love for journalism and communication. He authored about 19 books, one of which is ‘Corruption in High Society.’

In his 2018 birthday message, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari noted that Ali spent most of his life serving the country as a public affairs officer, “most remarkably for ensuring accurate and balanced information on government activities during and after the civil war.

His son, Hamid Sidi, described his death as inevitable and irreplaceable.

He left 46 children and many grandchildren.