IBB’s wife Maryam Babangida dies of cancer in Los Angeles
The family of Nigeria’s former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has issued a statement on December 27, 2009, regarding the death of his wife:
With total submission to the Will of Allah, we humbly announce the passing away of our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and amiable friend Hajiya Maryam Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
A statement from General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s family announced today that Maryam passed on early this morning at the age of 61, after a protracted illness.
The former chairperson of the Better Life for Rural Women during her husband’s years in office had been hospitalised at University of California Los Angele’s (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Los Angeles, United States.
She died beside her husband, General Babangida who has been at her bedside in the US hospital till her death. Mrs. Babangida’s condition worsened months ago.
Born on November 1, 1948, she had fairly humble beginnings in her hometown of Asaba where she received part of her early education before moving up North to Queen Amina College, Kaduna for her Secondary education. She went on to graduate as a Secretary at the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna and later obtained a diploma in secretaryship from Laselle University, Chicago, USA as well as a Certificate in Computer Science from the NCR Institute, Lagos.
On September 6, 1969, two months before her 21st Birthday, she got married to Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (then a Major). Their marriage has been blessed with four children: 2 boys, Mohammed and Aminu and two girls, Aisha and Halima.
Apart from a brief stop at a career in her line of training, before and shortly after marriage, Mrs. Babangida remained a full time housewife, establishing and nurturing the home front until her youngest child had fairly come of age.
Considered to be one of the greatest women in Africa today, Maryam made that significant sacrifice in her staunch belief that the family unit is the most crucial factor in the quality of society and of mankind and that the woman is the central anchor of the unit.
By 1983, she however was again ready for an active career, beyond the confines of the home front when her husband became the Chief of Army Staff on December 31st that year. She became the President of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA). It was during her twenty-month presidency that her leadership qualities were first unfolded to the public as she mobilised her colleagues to embark aggressively on public spirited ventures which included building schools, clinics, women’s multipurpose training centres and child day care centres.
An incisive thinker and passionate lover of nature, gardening, birds and home decorations, she is “a poet’s dream” and with disarming charm and an admirable deft blend of winning wit, quiet confidence and child-like grace, she has brought the institution of first-ladyship out of the closet to active participation in nation building.
Signed: (For and on Behalf of the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Family)
she is a real mother
Maryam Babangida was indeed a woman of substance.Her absence has left a deep gap for women emancipation.May Allah grant her aljanna firdausi (Amen).Memunat o. Akanbi,Desk officer,Maryam babangida centre for rural development,FUT,minna.
Test
We shall continue to cherish her contributions to the nation, particularly, the rural folks. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Abdullahi Bala Isa
They all die Overseas,because they all contributed one way or another to ruin our great nation. Millions of families in nigeria cant afford treatments inside nigeria, these families like the Babangidas can afford to build clinics in all major cities in Nigeria from their ill gotten wealth stolen from that poor country! crime and curruption is rampant in that nation because the people have lost all hopes of survival.
Mr Babangida need to think about hereafter now b4 is toolate, your wife cannot change anything now but you can. I pray to almighty Allah to forgive all her sins and mine
Maryam Babangida was a shining example to womanhood.. She led a life that shows that whatever you do lingers on after you go beyond. The evil that women do live after them and the good is often interferred in their bones. She loved the poor, she was always eager to help and contribute her quota. May her gentle soul rest in perpetual peace. May you forever leave in the bossom of the Lord. Amen.
may her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. she doesnt deserve to go like this. god bless her children
who deserves to go like that? you are a sick a$$hole,millions of poor nigerians go in even more worse ways.piss off
I thank God for Mrs. Babangida's gentle and accomplished life! May the good Lord comfort her family and may her soul continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord until we all meet there to part no more. Adieu, First Lady, you will always be remembered for what you’ve given to the people of Nigeria.
May her soul rest in peace.It must have been a tough battle
This is but a pathetic tale. the legacy of poverty alleviation lives on after her still. may her humble soul rest in Peace. Mr. Babangida, take heart and bear the loss. God gives and takes as your belief says. Work on the children and give them more comfort at this time. Peace!
This is a sad news to us. We need to fight cancer effectively together. Hope that people can really aware of the cancer in future.
The roses will weithered and men will die, whatever we do will follow us to the grave. Maryam's death is a loss to the country of Nigeria, and she should not have died abroad if we cater as she did for our own hospitals. May the good Loed grant her a perfect rest.
Good night sweetheartand the Lord will protect your family.