By SULE GAMBO, Kaduna January 5, 2020
Tracereporters.com –Professor of Physics and chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. Simon P. Mallam is among the six people killed in a gas explosion at the Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna Metropolis on Saturday.
Kaduna state deputy governor, Hadiza Balarabe, along Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, with other government officials visited the home of the late chairman Atomic Energy Commission at Goni-Gora and condoled the family.
A statement from his community confirming his death by Francis Donatus Gwaza read: “We the Kagoro community regret to announce the death of one of our prominent sons of the land on his way back from the New Year celebration. “Prof. Simon P. Mallam’s life was lost at [the scene of a recent gas explosion that took place in Ungwan/Boro of Sabon-Tasha Comminity of Chikun Local Government area in Southern Kaduna.
“Before his death, he was a professor of Physics with the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and the present chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission. “May his Soul Rest in Peace and may God Almighty Comfort his entire Family. Amen.”
It was gathered that his remain was deposited at the Sabon Tasha General Hospital.
The premises of major hospitals in Kaduna were besieged by families and friends of people believed to be near the scene of the gas explosion on Saturday.
Who Was PROF. MALAM ?
BIRTH >>>
Prof. Simon P. Mallam was born in Kagoro, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State on June 12th 1955.
EDUCATION >>>
Primary – Government Secondary School Zaria where he obtained West African School Cerificate in 1973.
1978 : graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria with B.Sc. in Physics 1984 M.Sc Nuclear Physics respectively.
Between 1984 and 1985, he enrolled at the C.A.R.E.L. Royan, FRANCE, for an Intensive French Language Course and CERAVUM Montpellier, FRANCE Technical French Language Course.
1987 : Graduated from the University of Paris VI, France with DEA. Molecular Biophysics.
Doctorate in Physics, 1990 from the University de Grenoble 1, France.
POSITIONS >>>>
Prof Mallam has held several positions as an academic and administrator.
From 1979 to 1984, he was Graduate Assistant – Assistant Lecturer, Physics Department, ABU, Zaria.
In 1984 he was made Research Fellow II and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2001.
His specialized area of teaching over the years were in the fields of nuclear physics, health physics, instrumentation and dosimetry, solid state physics, application of radiation in the life science and radiation and radioactive waste safety and management.
Supervised and graduated numerous postgraduate thesis and dissertations.
Between 1999 to 2006 he was on several occasions Acting Director, Center for Energy Research and Training (CERT), Zaria.
Head, Health Physics and Radiation Biophysics Section, CERT, ABU, Zaria – 1995 -.1996, 1997 – 1998, 1999 –.2006)
Chairman, Radiation Protection Committee, and Chief Radiation Protection Officer ABU, Zaria 1999-2006.
National Project Coordinator (Nigeria) AFRA/IAEA Project on Radioactive Waste Management
RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL BODIES >>>>
A Fellow, Nigeria Institute of Physics (2007)
Carried out researches in several areas and published numerous articles and journals in Radiation and Nuclear Techniques in Biophysics, Medical Physics, Environment and Radiation Effects and Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Radioactive Waste Management.
Served in many Technical Advisory Committees both at the University, National and international levels. He had been the national coordinator of efforts at entrenching a radioactive waste management regime in the country.
Prof. Mallam is currently the Chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC). He took over from PROF. Osasai in 2017. He was married with children.
DEATH
He, together with his son, died yesterday, Sat. 4th January, 2020, in Sabon Tasha, (Kaduna state), following a gas explosion near a barber shop in which they had gone for hair cuts.
May Their Souls Rest In Peace.
