Federal Government Delegation Arrives in Saudi Arabia for Dantata’s Funeral
A high-level federal government delegation led by Defence Minister Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar arrived in Saudi Arabia early Monday morning to oversee arrangements for the funeral of prominent businessman and elder statesman Alhaji Aminu Dantata in the holy city of Medina.
The delegation, which departed Nigeria late Sunday evening, includes some of the country’s most senior cabinet members: Justice Minister and Attorney General Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Information and National Orientation Minister Alhaji Mohammed Idris, and Minister of State for Housing Development Honourable Yusuf Abdullahi Ata.
Religious Leaders Join Government Officials
Accompanying the ministers are prominent Islamic clerics Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, who serves as Imam of the Dantata Mosque in Abuja. Their presence underscores the religious significance of the burial in Islam’s second holiest city.
The government delegation has joined Nigerian Consul General to Jeddah Ambassador Muazzam Ibrahim Nayaya and his consular team, who have been coordinating funeral arrangements since news of Dantata’s death emerged.
Burial Scheduled for Monday
According to Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant to the Information Minister, the funeral is scheduled to take place later Monday in accordance with Islamic burial traditions, which require prompt interment.
The federal government’s decision to send such a senior delegation reflects Dantata’s status as one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures and his significant contributions to the nation’s economic development over several decades.
Questions Over Protocol and Timing
However, the deployment of four cabinet ministers and senior clerics raises questions about the cost and necessity of such an extensive government presence at what is ultimately a private family matter. Critics may question whether such resources could be better allocated to pressing domestic issues.
The timing of the delegation’s departure – late Sunday for a Monday funeral – also highlights the challenges of coordinating international arrangements for high-profile burials while adhering to Islamic requirements for swift interment.
Saudi authorities had previously approved the burial in Medina, a privilege typically reserved for Muslims of exceptional standing given the city’s religious significance as the location of Prophet Muhammad’s tomb and the second holiest site in Islam.
Reference
Federal Government Delegation Arrives in Saudi Arabia for Dantata’s Funeral