For the second time in as many weeks, Katsina State hosted the august presence of some of the crème de la crème of Nigerian society, including intellectuals from some of the nation’s finest universities, who visited to be part of the celebration of the 2024 Katsina State Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Seminar, organized by the state’s council of the union.
The first event, on Saturday, the 21st of 2024, was the historic turbaning ceremony of the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe, as the Sarkin Fulanin Joben Katsina by His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji (Dr.) AbdulMumin Kabir Usman. The Chief of Staff to the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Tsauri, and Honourable Aliyu Musawa, representing Musawa and Matazu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, were also turbaned on the same day as the Lamidon Katsina and the Dujiman Katsina, respectively.
The crowd-puller, however, was the one-time banker, who attracted the immediate past governor and his former employer, Right Honourable Aminu Bello Masari, and many wealthy individuals who graced the turbaning ceremonies.
The NUJ occasion, like the previous weekend’s turbaning ceremony, saw the attendance of Very Important People (VIPs), including the leadership and professionals of the media. The event celebrated the creation of Katsina State 37 years ago by then-Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, as well as the contribution of the late Dr. Bala Usman to the development of the state’s politics and history.
The one-day event, titled Special Twin Lectures: (1) Katsina State @37: The Journey So Far, and (2) 19 Years After Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman: His Contributions to the Development of Politics and History of Katsina State, was chaired by the former Wazirin Katsina and patron of the Katsina State council of the NUJ, Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga. The Executive Governor of the State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON, served as the Special Guest of Honour. The immediate past governor and former Speaker of the House of Representatives was the Guest of Honour. The National President of the NUJ and President of the Coalition of Africa Journalists, Dr. Chris Isiguzo, MFR, and Comrade Hassan Tukur Dan’ali, Chairman of the Katsina State Council of the NUJ, hosted the event.
The twin lectures were delivered by Dr. Mukhtar El-Kasim of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who spoke about the state at 37, and Dr. Uwais Ilyasu of Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua University, Katsina, who discussed Dr. Bala Usman’s legacy 19 years after his death. The event took place at the Katsina Motel Conference Hall.
The 2024 NUJ lecture is an annual event that coincides with Katsina State’s 37th anniversary. The state came into existence in 1987, which marks 37 years since its creation by then Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, who recently celebrated his 83rd birthday.
The chairman of the occasion, Professor Sani A. Lugga, advised the Service Chiefs to resign if they could not end the insecurity ravaging the country, particularly in the northern region. The deputy governor explained that the projects were executed and are ongoing under the state administration. The Guest of Honour emphasized the importance of the media, while the host and Chairman of the Katsina State Council of the NUJ assured that the lectures would continue to be held annually.
Meanwhile, as Katsina State celebrates its 37 years of existence, it is important to note the immense contributions of Katsina and Daura Emirates, as well as their people, to Nigeria’s development in various fields.
In the military, Katsina has produced prominent figures such as Brigadier General Muhammadu Buhari and Major General Hassan Usman Katsina, who held high-ranking positions as the Head of State and the number two man in the Supreme Military Council, respectively. Similarly, Major General Shehu Musa ‘Yar’adua, Alhaji Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua, and Muhammadu Buhari have emerged as Presidents of Nigeria, with Right Honourable Aminu Bello Masari serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In the judiciary, notable figures from Katsina include the late Justice Muhammadu Bello, former Chief Justice of the Federation, and the late Justices Mamman Nasir and Umaru AbdulLahi, Presidents of the Court of Appeal. The state has also produced prominent figures in the police force, including the late Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko Yusuf (MD Yusuf) and the late Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, both of whom served as Inspectors General of Police.
In the field of security, notable individuals include the late Alhaji Lawal Rafindadi, former head of the National Security Organisation (NSO), Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim (Talban Katsina), and Ambassador Ahmed Abubakar, who headed the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), as well as Alhaji Lawal Daura, who led the Department of State Security (DSS). Katsina has also produced numerous distinguished civil servants who have made significant contributions at both the federal and state levels.
I vividly recall, as a primary school child in the late seventies, when the influential New Nigerian newspaper led with the headline “KATSINA IN ARGENTINA,” referring to the then number two man in Nigeria, Major General Hassan Usman Katsina, who had traveled to Argentina.
Today, the state is led by Governor Malam Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON, and his able Deputy, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe, who was recently turbaned as the Sarkin Fulanin Joben Katsina. Both have earned reputations in their respective fields before becoming the number one and number two citizens of Katsina State.
Not to be overlooked is Alhaji Aliyu Bala, National President of the Daura Education Development Associations (DEDA), who has made the state, particularly Daura, well-known in various parts of Nigeria, including Abuja, Sokoto, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, among others.
May Katsina State’s influence and reputation continue to grow, and may it rise again as a center of both Islamic and Western education, or even surpass its past achievements.
Labaran wrote from Katsina.
