BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – There was confusion at the venue of an event in Bauchi on Monday when Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade And Investment, Ambassador Maryam Yalwaji Katagum suddenly slumped and went into a state of coma while on an official assignment.
The Minister, who was in Bauchi to launch an empowerment program at the Sanin Mallam Plaza, collapsed while delivering her speech at the ceremony and was immediately evacuated by government officials who accompanied her to the program to the Trauma Center of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) for medical attention.
The Minister, who had been in Bauchi since Saturday featured in a live program on Globe FM Radio on Sunday and had other personal engagements which must have exhausted her before the official program on Monday.
An eyewitness account revealed that since she arrived the venue of the ceremony, the Minister looked withdrawn touching her head occasionally as the program was going on with the Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela in attendance.
Another eyewitness said that Maryam Yalwaji Katagum slumped as she stood up to deliver her address to launch the program saying; “she just held her head and went down flat” but quick intervention of aides and other officials at the venue acted promptly and rushed her to the hospital.
As of the time of filing this report, the minister was still at the Trauma Center of the ATBUTH where she is receiving medical attention with Senator Tela monitoring the situation.
When our Correspondent visited the Trauma Center of ATBUTH, officials of the Ministry as well as those of the State Government were seen seated monitoring the situation as one of them confirmed to our Correspondent that the Minister was indeed rushed to the hospital but declined further comments.
None of the medical personnel approached was ready to confirm the situation the Minister was in, apart from the fact that she was brought to the hospital and adequate medical attention is being administered on her.
A top Government official however told Forefront News that as soon as the situation is stabilized, the Minister would be flown to Abuja for further medical attention.
