By Doris Obinna

President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Alhaji Mamman Daura, has been described as an asset to Nigeria, at a time experience, commitment and patriotism are needed to stablise governance.

Coordinator of a socio-political group, Forum for Nigeria’s Unity and Progress (FNUP), Alhaji Suleiman Danladi, said Daura means well for the country and has done much for the progress of the Federal Government and Nigeria in general.

He said those who demonise Daura are people who feel he is a stumbling block to their plots to manipulate those in government.

“Alhaji Mamman Daura is a stablising force in government. He has worked behind the scene to ensure there is stability in the current Federal Government. But he has been largely misunderstood. And those who do not mean well for the country are demonising him because they know with him, it will be difficult to manipulate top officials of government,” Danladi said. The forum’s coordinator said Daura does not head any cabal in the government, but a patriotic Nigerian, who wants President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed in office.

He said: “I don’t know about a cabal in government; what I know is there are people whose interest is to make Buhari succeed. If you follow the career of Alhaji Mamman Daura, you will see that he has always worked for the good of the country. He has always taken interest in the things President Buhari does and has always helped in his little way to support him.

“During Buhari’s government as military head of state, he functioned in advisory capacity, which is what he does now. He is a patriotic Nigerian.” Danladi said only those close to government would know what Daura has been doing to ensure progress and unity in the country, saying that history would judge him well.

“At a time when there are so much agitations in the country, Mamman Daura has played key role in dousing tension. Only a few people will know the series of meetings he has held with leaders of other ethnic groups in the country at this trying times. With his relationship with people across the country, he has been able to get various ethic groups’ leaders to work together for the unity and stability of government and Nigeria,” Danladi said.

Daura, is a journalist from Katsina State, was an editor of the New Nigerian Newspaper and served as the holding company’s managing director.

During former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, he was briefly a member of the Justice Oputa panel charged with investigating human rights abuses in the country. He also served on the Dina committee in 1968 and the Aboyade technical committee in 1977, which dealt with the intractable revenue allocation.

During the Buhari’s military government, Daura played key advisory roles. He had served as head of the African International Bank and chairman of the board of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), among other strategic positions.