Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has expressed shock over the demise of a renowned philanthropist, political icon and an industrious Igala son, Isiaka Alfa.
Alfa (WAALI) died at the age of 90 years on February 25.
The governor, in a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, said the Igala kingdom and the entire state had lost a political colossus and philanthropist par excellence.
He said that besides being a great politician, Isiaka was also an astute businessman and financier of many businesses.
Bello particularly extolled the late Waali for using his personally acquired wealth to touch and influence the lives of several Igala people positively.
He stressed that the philanthropist had on many occasions sponsored many students through their university education and had also helped Muslims and Christians to make pilgrimage to holy lands.
The governor expressed his condolence to family members of the deceased, particularly, Rabiu Isiaka Alfa; the Ankpa people and the entire people of Igala kingdom.
He said the late Waali lived a good life and left behind, legacy of philanthropism and service to humanity.
He prayed God to grant the deceased Aljannah Fidaus and fortitude for his loved ones to bear the loss.
Alfa was born in 1932 and joined active politics in 1960 just after the country’s independence.
He started his early business life with selling of kola nuts and later ventured into transportation where he rose to become a distributor of Peugeot cars with the Peugeot Assembly of Nigeria.
Though not formally educated, he was an entrepreneurial expert who was not only successful in managing his own businesses but has equally established businesses for others too.
The late Isiaka produced illustrious children, among them, is a lawmaker representing the good people of Ankpa II State Constituency, and Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Kogi Assembly.
(NAN)
