sakkwatanci: SIR, AHMADU BELLO (SARDAUNA OF SOKOTO) A CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL MODEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FIGURE.

SIR, AHMADU BELLO (SARDAUNA OF SOKOTO)

A CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL MODEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FIGURE.

A. Bukhari Sokoto

Sir Ahmadu Bello was born in a village called Rabah extreme East some Twenty Miles from Sokoto, on June 12, 1910 to Ibrahim, the district head of Rabah Son of Sultan Abubakar Atiku, Son of Sultan Muhammadu Bello, Son of Sheikh Usman Bin Fodiyo, the founding father of the Sokoto caliphate at the beginning of the nineteenth century. His father died when was 6 years old. He received his early Islamic Education at Rabah in the hand of Malam Garba the Imam of Rabah Village at his early teens who taught him the basic rudiments of his religion and made him learned the Qur’an by disciplinarian Islamic Scholars.

His formal Western Education began at Sokoto and later he attended Sokoto Provisional school, and passed out when he was sixteen years of age. From 1926 – 1936, he was at Katsina training College where he was one of the prefects and captains of five. From 1931-1934, he taught at Sokoto Middle School when he joined the native administration under a colonial set up, he was appointed the district head of Rabah (as his father earlier was) from 1934-1938.

In 1938, he was appointed the Sokoto, an appellation which automatically conferred on him the position of chief political advicer to the Sultan then Sir Saddiq Abubakar III his Kinsman. After his transfer to Gusau, Present day Capital of Zamfara State in the North Western Zone of Nigeria. Sir Ahmadu Bello was placed in charge of Eastern Area of this then Sokoto Province, where he was to oversee Fourteen out of Fourty-Seven districts. In 1944 he was posted back to the Sultans Palace, as Chief Secretary to the State Native Administration.

He also doubled as Chief Political advicer to Sultan. He was given tremendous Powers to supervise both districts and departmental administration. In 1948, Sir Ahmadu Bello visited the United Kingdom where he studied local Government Administration thereby widening his intellectual horizons and honing his administrative skill and competence.

Upon his return 1946, he entered the Northern Region’s House of assembly. He was among the chosen three who represented the North at the drafting committee for the new constitution. He also held different positions as member of Northern regional development and Production board, the Nigerian Forest, Inspection Board, and member of the Nigerian coal board. In all these, he distinguished himself as a hardworking civil servant.

In 1951, after the new constitution came into effect, Sir Ahmadu Bello was appointed minister of works, and was also designated leader of government business of the Northern Region. In 1954 he was elected President General of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC). He becomes the region’s Premier later the same years. In 1955 performed his first Pilgrimage to mecca. He equally participated as leader of the Northern delegation in the London Constitutional conference of 1953 and 1957. He adopted work and worship motto on Northern Nigerian Crest.

In March 1959 after the Northern region was granted a new protest status of self government by the British, he became the President of Northern regional Executive Council. Also in that year, he was granted the knighthood of the British Empire (KBE) by the Queen of England. Sir, Ahmadu Bello was the first chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. As the devout Muslim who believed in tents of pristine Islam, he was the Vice President of the World Muslim league.

His personality was developed spherically in three dimentions of Islamic religion, traditional values and leadership training. Sleeped in these three, he exhibited the quality of generosity and open mindedness in his socialization. Through his life, his large-scale system was Northern Nigeria and later Nigeria. But to the former more than the latter, he was to devote his later energy and time.

Although he received a letter on his way to Umra threatening to killed him which read as thus: “We have arranged to kill you and the Prime Minister (Alhaji Tafawa Balewa). But the Sardauna felt that “It may be some one who wants to save us and directed that the letter be given to the Private Secretary for Onward transfer to Security. Again, nobody did anything, security was lax.

Another that strengthened him in the face of approaching dangerous and death was his belief that for him to die in the service of Northern Nigeria was worth his while. Hear him Don’t worry, continue to get useful information. I know what to do.

Finally, as if he was actually prepared to meet the inevitable on the dooms day, he actually sent away the People that evening (January 14 1966) from his house. Then when the commotion started with the Soldiers, the Sardauna went into the family quarters to tell them what was happening, It’s me they want …... I Forgive you ….. please Forgive we ….. He thereafter asked the family to stay away. But as he came out of the family quarters, the whole family went with him. Then the soldiers came and sorrunded him. He identified himself as the Sardauna and Premier of Nortehrn Nigeria. His most Senior wife who was with him embraced him, as the dare devil soldiers shot her and her husband, killing then on the instant. According to John Paden, January 15, 1966 marked a Pause in the affairs of Nigeria. The Gamji, tree had been cut down. It was the end of an era, or were the roots so deep that they would grow again with time?

SOME OF SIR AHMADU BELLO

Sardauna of Sokoto Words on Marble.

On Destiny

“I have never sought the Political Limelight or a leading position in my country. But I could not avoid the obligation of my birth and destiny. My great-great-grandfather built an Empire in the Western Sudan. It has fallen my lot to play a not inconsiderable part in building a new nation. My ancestor was chosen to lead the holy war which set up his Empire. I have been chosen by a Free electrorate to help build a modern state.

From Preface to my life.

On Pride

“They say that I am proud and impatient. I am certainly proud, for I have much to be proud of, and not the least the trust that God has given me to lift up our People from their Primitive conditions into the light of life and the happiness of conternment. But I am not proud in the arrogant sense, for I know that I am merely an instrument carrying out God’s will and pleasure.

From my life.

“On Customs and Traditions.

“Our Customs and institutions are not artificial creations, nor have they been borrowed ready-made from others. On the contrary, with their roots deep in the Past, Yet changing to meets the needs of the future, they are living, growing things. We are proud to our way of life and are honoured that we have the priviledge of displaying a few of its many aspects”.

From: Speech in response to the Queens Goodwill message, 1959.

On Knowledge

“U are unique in that we stand at the meeting Point of two of the major cultural system of the world. Islamic culture from the East and Christain culture from the West, and meeting in the Presence of a third culture, that of the ancient state and empires of African itself. Our task is to bring about a dialogue between these two cultures and fit them to Africa, Interpreting one of the other to the Mutual benefit of all. We should introduce Western ideas and technologies where necessary but it must be without distripting our existing Spiritual, cultural and social Values”.

From: Speech on the occasion of his Installation as Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on 23^rd November 1963.

Last Words

“I am impatient, and who would not be with all that lies before me and the responsibilities that have been placed upon me? I have a thousands causes for impatience, but I am not impatient for myself or my family. All my time I give to my work: my life has been in the service of the state even from the time that I went to school. For there I was learning for the future and that future had cought up with me. A new future lies ahead into which I go, trusting in God’s eternal mercy.

From my life.

PHOTO PROFILE OF SIR AHMADU BELLO SARDAUNA OF SOKOTO