Northern governors lament Umaru Shehu’s passing

Emeritus Professor Umaru Shehu, the first professor of community health in Northern Nigeria, passed away, and the Northern Governors Forum has expressed its condolences.

Age 97, he passed away on Monday.

In a condolence statement, Gombe State Governor and Forum Chairman Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya referred to the late Umaru Shehu as a true luminary and erudite scholar whose passing left a significant gap in Nigeria’s knowledge and leadership.

A tremendous vacuum has been left by Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu’s passing, according to Governor Yahaya, not only for his family but also for Borno State, the University of Maiduguri, and the entire northern area of Nigeria.

He pointed out that Shehu was more than simply a name; he was also a fount of information, a lighthouse of knowledge, and a personification of devotion to his people and country.

The chairman continued, “Professor Umaru Shehu’s illustrious career in several universities, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria, and the University of Maiduguri, as well as his role as a co-founder of the Borno Elders Forum and the Kanem Borno Historical and Cultural Foundation, have left an indelible mark on the society.”

He said that Professor Shehu’s efforts as the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and his illustrious position as Professor Emeritus of Community Health at the University of Maiduguri had in fact improved the country’s intellectual heritage.

He asserted that Umaru’s accomplishments as the Editor-in-Chief of the British Medical Journal were evidence of his outstanding qualities and his international renown.

According to the NSGF chairman, one of the north’s brightest minds and a renowned scholar has certainly left the region.

He expressed his sincere sympathies for the tragic loss to the government, the people, the community, and the country of Borno State, as well as the University of Maiduguri.

He appealed to the All-Powerful Allah to pardon his transgressions and bestow Aljannat Firdaus onto him in recompense for his good actions.