Former Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Arc. Barnabas Y. Bala Bantex has died at 64.
The Architect who served as the Deputy Governor during Governor El-Rufai's first tenure lost his life on Sunday, July, 11 at an Abuja hospital.
El-Rufai confirmed the death through a statement on Facebook, describing the deceased as a friend and brother who struggled with him during their undergraduate days. He added that Bantex was a brilliant man who believed in the potential of the State.
"I have received with utter sadness news of the departure of my friend and brother, His Excellency Barnabas Yusuf Bala (Bantex). From our days as undergraduates in the 1970s to our practice as professional colleagues in the construction industry and eventually partners in a governance project, Bantex was consistently a dependable man of brilliance and imagination." El-Rufai said.
Late Arc. Bantex has served the state on several levels. He served as a delegate in the 1994 Constitutional Conference and was also a member of the Kaura Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. In addition, he was the chairman of the Kaura Local Government Council.
After resigning as the Deputy Governor of the state in 2019, he contested for the Kaduna South Senate seat, which he lost to Senator Danjuma La’ah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor El-Rufai assured the people of Kaduna State that he has spoken to his family and relayed condolences on behalf of his government and the people of Kaduna State.