From:Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Maryam Yalwaji Katagum on Monday collapsed while on an official engagement in Bauchi.
The Minister who was in Bauchi to launch an empowerment programme at one of the shopping plazas in Bauchi suddenly slumped as she tried to deliver her speech at the ceremony and was immediately evacuated by officials to the Trauma centre of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) for immediate medical attention.
Our correspondent gathered that 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An eyewitness account revealed that since she arrived the venue of the ceremony, the Minister had looked withdrawn touching her head occasionally as the programme was going on with the Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela in attendance.
Another eyewitness said that the Minister slumped as she stood up to deliver her address and launch the program saying that, 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, Ambassador Maryam Yalwaji Katagum was at the trauma center of the ATBUTH where she is recovering medical attention with the Deputy Governor, Sen Baba 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 told 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 administered on her.
A top Government official told our Correspondent that as soon as the situation was stabilized, the Minister will be flown to Abuja for further medical attention.
