Attaher Maïga

Attaher Maïga (192422 February 1985) was a Malian politician and cabinet minister who served as the minister of finance, of finance and commerce, and of commerce from 1959 to 1968. Born in the village of Baria, he graduated in 1943 in finance. Before working in the Malian government, Maïga first worked as a civil servant in Ségou, participating in community and union-related activities. He was first arrested in 1953 and punished after taking part in a labor strike. Joining the Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally, he became Ségou's territorial councilor in addition to being a member of French Sudan's Legislative Assembly.

From 1959, Maïga started working in the government as the Minister of Finance, then becoming the Minister of Finance and Commerce, again the Minister of Finance, and finally as the Minister of Commerce. During his time in office, he oversaw the creation of the Malian franc and contributed to the hiring of people from the country's northern communities.

Following the 1968 Malian coup d'état by the military, as president Modibo Keïta was deposed, numerous members of the government were arrested, including Maïga. Jailed for seven years, he was released in 1975 but again arrested in 1977 after attending Keïta's funeral. He was released six months later, subsequently returning to Baria. He died on 22 February 1985 in Timbuktu, Mali, in a plane crash at the age of 61.

Biography Early and personal life Attaher Maïga was born in 1924 in Baria, Bourem Cercle, into a family of the village's Songhai chieftaincy. Following studies in Bourem, Maïga then likely joined Terrasson de Fougères Higher Primary School of Bamako, graduating in 1940 with a higher primary school diploma. a teacher and activist. and Keïta Aminata Maiga who served as the First Lady of Mali. In 1944, Maïga was appointed as a Treasury accountant at the Pay Office in Ségou, a city where most of his political and professional career was spent. He then became the president of a sports association and the treasurer of a union as part of his roles in community and union-related activities. In 1953, he participated in a labor strike and was subsequently arrested; he was punished by the Governor of French Sudan for "serious breaches of discipline".

In 1956, he started to work in the administrative secretariat. During this time, he oversaw the creation of the Malian franc and its implementation, which was later put into circulation on 1 July 1962. In 1977, he attended Keïta's funeral along with close associates of the latter. They were all later arrested again, with Maïga spending six months in jail at the Djicoroni paratrooper camp in Bamako. After serving his time in jail, he returned to and retired at Baria and was involved in livestock farming, agriculture, and the education of girls.

In April 2016, the Baria School celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, with the school bearing the name of Attaher Maïga.