Tobi Adebayo
A former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abba Sayyadi Ruma has died at 59.
According to reports, Ruma died in a London hospital on Wednesday after a brief illness.
He served as Minister under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration in 2007.
Ruma was born on 13 March 1962. He gained a BA in history from the University of Sokoto, a Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a PhD in international relations from the University of Abuja. He was also a fellow of the prestigious Harvard University in the USA.
The deceased obtained a position as an information officer in Katsina State and became a special adviser to Saidu Barda, the governor of Katsina State in 1992.
Between 1999 and 2003, Ruma was chairman and chief executive officer of Rascom Network Ltd, a company based in Kaduna that consults on research and development.
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The former Minister was the chairman of Batsari Local Government Area in Katsina State in 2003 and strongly supported the PDP candidates. He became secretary to the Katsina State Government in 2003 when Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was governor.
Abba Ruma was chairman of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development headquartered in Rome, Italy, and a Partner Minister of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
