Former Defence Minister, Shettima Mustapha Dies in Abuja at 83

 

Former Minister of Defence, Dr Shettima Mustapha on Thursday afternoon died in Abuja

A former aide in the ministry of Defence who confirmed his demise to Vanguard, noted that his remains would be flown to the North East for burial later on Thursday.

Dr Shettima Mustapha CFR who was born 26 November 1939 at Nguru, now in Yobe State, died at his home No 6 Asaba Close Area 11, Garki.

He was Minister of Agriculture (1990–1992), and in 2007 was appointed Minister of Defence in the cabinet of President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

Later he was made Minister of Interior. He left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved the cabinet.

Shettima Mustafa attended Borno middle school in Maiduguri (1946–1952). He trained as a Medical Field Assistant in Kano (1955–1956). He worked in the Borno Native Administration (1954–1964) and then with Radio Television Kaduna (1965–1967).

In 1967, aged 28, he was admitted into Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1972 and then working as a researcher with the university’s Institute for Agricultural Research.

From 1973 to 1974 he attended the University of Cambridge, where he earned a postgraduate Diploma in Applied Biology.

He continued to work towards a PhD, attending Purdue University, Indiana in the United States in 1978, and obtaining his PhD in 1979.[3] He also completed a course in Agricultural Projects Monitoring and Evaluation at the University of East Anglia in 1990.