Aminu Mohammed
12 October 2008
analysis
Sokoto — Over 42 years after his death, the only premier the north has ever produced, Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto still remains the greatest of them all and this has been posing a lot of questions why the north is yet to find someone to wear his shoes.
Infact, media reports have it that, the Northern Governors Forum is planning to set up a foundation in his name which according to the secretary to the Niger state government, Dr. Yahaya Kuta "it will be one of the best in the world". All things being equal, the foundation is to see the light of the day on February 15 next year and would be used as a forum for awarding scholarships to students as part of the late premier's legacy on education for all. To cap it all, Kuta said the foundation will represent value system that will be promoted and celebrated for the future generation to emulate as it will show case the lifetime achievements of Sir Ahmadu Bello which they hope to preserve for posterity.
The question that comes to mind is: why is the Sardauna of Sokoto more celebrated across northern Nigeria in over 42 years after his death in spite of the fact that the north and even Nigeria has produced other great men who were his contemporaries?
One of the late premier's neighbours in Sokoto, Alhaji Umar Farouk Usman simply described him as a selfless human being who accommodated, tolerated, and embraced all kinds of people regardless of religion or ethnic background. According to Alhaji Usman who is a retired civil servant " I have never in my life come across a selfless human being so honest, kind, generous, accommodating, tolerant, respectful and who sees patience as a primary virtue like the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
Alhaji Usman's description of the pillar of the north even in death was corroborated by the late premier's private secretary, Alhaji Sani Kangiwa who also described his former boss as simply a man of all seasons. Kangiwa described Sardauna as humble, simple, sincere, hardworking, and industrious and a shining example when it comes to leadership.
Sir Ahmadu Bello according to his former private secretary Kangiwa was a man of his words, a devoted Muslim and a bridge builder. "In his lifetime he has established numerous Islamiyya schools and encouraged parents to enroll their children into western schools because nothing can be achieved without education".
Both Kangiwa and Usman narrated that one of the legacies Sardauna left behind is the love for knowledge and this made him to establish many schools including the Ahmadu Bello University which has been serving as one of the cradles of knowledge not only to the north but Nigeria as a nation.
According to Kangiwa, he is a beneficiary of the Institute of Administration at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and added that the foresight exhibited by the late premier of the northern region in the education sector has today impacted on so many Nigerians and even international community.
In the area of agriculture the late premier has also stamped his feet on sands of time because the north was a proud stakeholder in food production but the most notable commodities before the discovery of oil were cotton and groundnuts. The foresight in the agricultural sector has today placed the north ahead of other parts of the country in food production.
Alhaji Muhammadu Dan Arago is an 82 year old man based in Sokoto and in an interview with him, he described the late Premier as a father to all because throughout his life time he never discriminated against anyone. "Sardauna was very accommodating because he never disliked you because you were a Christian or a Muslim, a Hausa man or Yoruba man but because you were lad".
Alhaji Dan Arago simply said "I was never his biological son but I have benefited from him like a biological son and there was nothing I ever asked from him without getting even his personal cloths he gave them out not because he did not like them but simply because someone has asked him to give him". Perhaps, it is this quality of treating everybody equally that had endeared him to non-Muslims who be converted to Muslims in large numbers.
According to Dan Arago, Sardauna will always sit and eat with everyone around him, share his thoughts and concerns and seek for advice from his subordinates. Another important quality of the late Premier says Dan Arago is his ability to listen to all and as a leader he never said something and later said to the contrary. He was firm in decision making and very strict when it comes to official matters according to Kangiwa who was his private secretary. Kangiwa also described his boss as a hardworking leader who never allows a file to be on his table a minute longer than necessary.
"As a P.A I sometimes take up to a 100 files to him to attend to or even more than that but the beauty of his ability as an exemplary leader was that no matter the number of files I take them to him tonight by morning he would ask me to clear the table because he has finished with them".
How is working with the late premier like? Alhaji Sani Kangiwa said to work with him one has to be hard working enterprising and honest because he did not see eye to eye with lazy people and corrupt civil servants. He encouraged everyone around him to imbibe good qualities such as always stand by the truth, respects every human being, be honest, be dedicated in what one does, be devoted to ones religious beliefs, listen to subordinates, be firm and most of all, render selfless service to humanity.
Sardauna has always been described as the pillar of the north because of his foresight in preaching unity among the diverse ethnic groups in the region. He was nicknamed Gamji symbolizing one of the strongest trees in the country. His generosity extended to all kinds of people in the north religion, ethnic or family background notwithstanding.
He encouraged northerners to enlist in the Nigerian police and army and all other para-military establishments and today for his foresight, the north has produced the highest number of military heads of state while several northerners have been appointed to man various police and army formations.
Politically, Sardauna was a front runner in the debates and struggles that led to Nigeria's independence in 1960 and was a strong political pillar in the politics of the first Republic. As a premier of northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello saw politics as a vehicle through which a politician can empower and free his people and he used his position in championing the needs and aspirations of the region. He rendered selfless service not only to the region he was representing but the entire Nigerian state and it was because of the ideals he stood for that he was able to earn for himself, the highest award in Britain, Knight of the British Empire (KBE) which gave him the title Sir, Ahmadu Bello. The KBE is awarded to people who have distinguished themselves in their various endeavours and Sardauna of Sokoto born in a village called Rabah in Sokoto state rendered a selfless service which earned him a Sir.
Born in 1910 in Rabah to the district head of Rabah, Ibrahim, Sir Ahmadu Bello attended Sokoto Provincial Elementary School from 1919-23 before proceeding to the famous Katsina College between 1924 and 1931. He was a teacher at Sokoto Middle School between 1931and 1933 and was appointed district head of Rahah in 1933. In 1938 he was appointed as the Sardauna of Sokoto. He however spent six years in Zamfara as a representative of the Sultan of Sokoto and has worked in various places such as Sokoto Native Authority as a secretary, a Senior Councilor; he also worked with the Native Authority Sokoto Prison. In 1957 he was appointed in charge of local government affairs in Kaduna which served as the capital of the north and also headed the works ministry.
The late premier led the Northern Nigerian delegation to the London Constitutional Conference in 1958 and was a front-runner in the struggles that led to the 1960 Independence. The Sardauna of Sokoto was an aristocrat as a descendant of the famous Sheikh Usman Danfodiyo one of the greatest jihadists of African history. Sardauna's greatest weapon has always been "truth". He was pragmatic in his dealings, philosophic in his statements, humble in interacting with fellow human beings and decisive in his actions. Perhaps that explains why over 42 years after his death, his shoes are left without a heir aspirant who will unite, lead and champion the cause of a once great north which has produced more leaders than any region in the country, yet its people are enmeshed in abject poverty, misery and discontent.
Such were the monsters, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, premier of northern Nigeria fought against.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
