Ibrahim Bio, Turner Isoun, and Tanimu Yakubu played prominent roles at the federal and state levels, however, not much have been heard about them after the left office. Where are they now? ELEOJO IDACHABA asks.
Ibrahim Bio
Alhaji Isa Ibrahim Bio was Minister of Transportation under late President Musa Yar Adua. His appointment followed the redeployment of Mrs Allison Madueke from the Ministry of Transportation to the Ministry of Mines and Solid minerals Development on December 17, 2008.
He, thereafter, became the Minister of Sports following Vice President Goodluck Jonathan’s assumption to office as acting President in February 2010.
Bio, who hails from Kwara state, prior to his ministerial appointment, was commissioner for health, Kwara state in the early 90s.
Following the return of democracy, he was elected to the House of Representatives to represent Baruten/Karma Constituency in April 1999 on the platform of All Peoples Party (APP).
Bio, who was Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment, however, joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) just before the 2003 elections.
He was subsequently elected into the Kwara State House of Assembly and was elected Speaker of the Assembly.
The former minister and legislator has since been off the political scene, particularly, he managed to keep a low ptofile even en in the face of the revolution that ushered in a new administration in his home state, Kwara, in the 2019 general elections.
Turner Isoun
Professor Turner Isoun hails from Bayelsa state is a university teacher, administrator and researcher.
He was the minister of science and technology under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2000 to 2007, and under his administration the blueprint for technological development of Nigeria was drawn, to, among others, see the launch of geospatial and communication satellites; installation of a 1000-megawatt nuclear power plant; and the launch of the ICT backbone infrastructure, which is responsible for the digital economy, including e-banking and other e-products that Nigerians are enjoying.
Other longer term benefits of the roadmap included the prospect of sending a Nigerian to the moon as well as the design, building, and launch of a satellite by Nigerian engineers.
During his tenure as minister Nigeria launched the two satellite stations: NigerSat I and NIGCOMSAT 1, an advanced communication satellite; in collaboration with Chinese investors. He was at some point, Chairman, Board of Directors, NIGCOMSAT LTD.
Isoun was educated in the 70s at the University of Michigan, United States, and on returning to Nigeria after his doctorate; took up teaching appointments at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Ibadan, respectively.
Earlier in his life, he was Special Adviser on Science and Technology in the old Rivers state and played a prominent role in the establishment of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, said to be the first university of technology in 1980. He was subsequently appointed as the first vice chancellor of the institute.
Following the establishment of the Niger Delta University (NDU) years back, Prof Isoun was appointed its chairman of council and pro-chancellor.
Writing on Isoun, who recently turned 80, a Science Editor and Communication Consultant, Alex Abutu, said: “Prof Isoun is a silent achiever but when he appeared on the national scene as the nation’s minister of science and technology in 2000, there was no holding Nigeria back in the comity of science-driven nations.
“Nigeria treaded paths reserved exclusively for the advanced nations as it launched what was then termed an ambitious scientific road map. This was to, among others; see the launch of geospatial and communication satellites, installation of a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant and the launch of the ICT backbone infrastructure which is responsible for the digital economy, including e-banking and other e-products that Nigerians are enjoying.
“Other longer term benefits in the roadmap include the prospect of sending a Nigerian to the moon as well as the design, building and launch of a satellite by Nigerian engineers.”
Though this erudite scholar has been out of public sphere, his footprints in science, in Nigeria and beyond, cannot be forgotten.
Tanimu Yakubu
He was Economic Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua between 2007 and 2010. This was not the first time he held political appointment having served as commissioner for finance under Yar’Adua as governor of Katsina state in 1999.
He was also appointed managing director, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) by President Olusegun Obasanjo given his background in the banking and financial management sector as a trained economist.
Tanimu was believed to be one of the most powerful political appointees in the Yar’Adua-led government and had alongside other ‘kitchen cabinet’ members allegedly held sway in the days the late president was out of the country on account of illness.
Not much was heard of him after leaving office until sometime in 2016 when he was attacked by hoodlums in Kaduna.
