Dr. Datti Ahmad: Tribute to an educational and administrative icon

Such departure of a well accomplished gentleman in terms of him being a serious and committed educationist, astitude administrator, social reformer and highly devoted Muslim who is also a strong advocate of quality leadership that will bring about positive socio-economic and even political development for both the state and the nation at large on the […]

Such departure of a well accomplished gentleman in terms of him being a serious and committed educationist, astitude administrator, social reformer and highly devoted Muslim who is also a strong advocate of quality leadership that will bring about positive socio-economic and even political development for both the state and the nation at large on the basis of Islamic principles and teaching, was a great and serious loss not only to his immediate family, we, his close associates, but also to Kano state and the nation in general. His life and activities in this world in the limited number of years he stayed in this world is a testimony to all and sundry that he lived a very useful and exemplary life. And we are fully hopeful that his abode in the next world is Aljannat Firdausi.
Indeed, the news of his death was very shocking and traumatic to me when I recalled that it was only four days ago that I met him laughing in a well dressed, flamboyant and joyous mood during the wedding fatiha of his last son, Munnir. Allah has willed that that Saturday was the last time for him to bid the farewell to majority of his relatives, close friends, close working colleagues and close associates; many of whom were shocked at the news of his death because most of them like me, did not even know that he was admitted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital four days after the wedding fatiha. Indeed, for him, it is a life well spent and fulfilled when we consider the life he led since he was born in Minjibir in 1936, his educational period and the time he started his contribution to humanity as a teacher in Danbatta in 1959 to the time he died at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital when he was Chief Imam of the famous Galadanci Mosque and a member of Kano State Emirate Council at the age of 77years. Indeed, like many others I deeply lost a very close senior working colleague from whom, at the initial stage of my work as professional educationist, I benefitted greatly from his experience, guidance, advice, down to earth honesty and commitment to duties and responsibilities. This was even before we later came to realize and understand that our parents were close family friends in the same manner I was with him. He indeed served diligently in the public sector for about 34 years combining it with positive socio-humanitarian activities for the benefit of the society, particularly for the down trodden throughout his life. In fact, because of his exemplary life, I considered him as one of my great mentors.
As a senior colleague, I knew Late Dr. Datti Ahmad as a very committed and dedicated educationist whose contributions helped to raise the standard of education to the highest level in Kano state and Nigeria by extension, especially in those places he served. He was indeed a very popular professional in the educational sector in the country as a whole. His contributions to education were not only limited to Kano and Jigawa states alone where he laid a solid foundation for the development of both primary and secondary schools education but Nigeria by extension. It was because of his popularity that a cream of prominent personalities in Kano and Jigawa states attended his funeral and condoled with his family, especially his old colleagues of the Ministries of Education, Justice, Works and Housing and Agriculture and Natural Resources as well as the Cabinet Office. They also included former commissioners and members of the academia from the Bayero University, Kano; University of Science and Technology Wudil and other tertiary institutions in the state. Others were leading Ulamas in Kano state and other states of the North as well as traditional rulers. In fact, the funeral prayers were fully supported by the Emir of Kano, His Highness, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero who described the deceased as ‘Dattijo’ when he heard the shocking news of his death by expressing ‘An rasa Dattijo’ i.e. we lost a perfect gentleman. His funeral prayers were performed at the Kano Emir’s Palace, as per him willed, by Professor Shehu Galadanci, his cousin and the first Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano.
Many people who condoled with his family spoke highly of his impeccable character, particularly humility, honesty and commitment to diligently serve his immediate community, Kano state and our dear country (Nigeria) at large. The deceased was a very religious person and always very committed to pursue whatever is for Islam. It is in this respect that in 1991, he authored a book in Hausa titled ‘Madubin Ilimin Tauhidi Da Koyan Karatun Alkur’ani ‘i.e. an introduction to the correct reading and teaching of the Glorious Qur’an known as Tajwid and Tahfeez in Arabic.
Additionally, he proved to be a very serious and a highly professional teacher not only in Arabic and Islamic education but also in English and History. Teaching at various institutions, he served as a teacher, vice principal or principal. He was instrumental and played a significant role in the development of basic education in the country especially his role in being a key implementer of the Kano State Primary Schools Management Board Policy of 1986 which metamorphosed into National Primary Education Commission Policy of 1989 i.e. the forerunner of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) of 1999. Indeed, the deceased will always be remembered for his commitment and dedication as well as selfless service to the development of education in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states as well as Nigeria in general.
Born on July 25, 1936 at Minjibir town in Minjibir local government area of Kano state, Late Dr. Ahmad was a Hausa/Fulani residing at Galadanci quarters of Gwale local government area of Kano by the time he passed on. He obtained his primary education at Danbatta Elementary School from 1947 to 1949 from where he proceeded to Bichi Elementary School from 1949 to 1950. He obtained his secondary education at Kano Middle School (now Rumfa College) in 1955 and proceeded to the famous and prestigious School of Arabic Studies, Kano, finishing in 1959 when he started his professional carrier as a perfect educationist rising to the ranks of a guru in the profession by the time he was only about 50 years old.
Late Dr. Datti Ahmad’s thirsts for knowledge which made him cut short his service for more qualification virtually were inborn to him because of the fact that seeking knowledge is the acknowledged tradition of his family who are from the Ulama Fulani Clan that produced the first Limamin Galadanci after Usman Dan-fodio’s Jihad in the Northern part of the country. And it was his great grandfather that became the first Limamin Galadanci. His grandfather was a leading Ulama and Limamin Galadanci too while his father from the same Ulama class became the Khadi of Wudil, Minjibir, Danbatta and Bichi among others.This was in addition to having many of his brothers who became Khadis and Grand Khadis (e.g Late Grand Khadis Nasiru Ahmad and Bashari Ahmad) while his other brothers became highly placed civil servants at both state and federal government levels.
Many of them like him, rose to the rank of permanent secretaries and chief executives of governmental organizations (e.g late Alhaji Murtala Ahmad, Alhaji Salihi Ahmad, Alhaji Mansur Ahmad, etc). Indeed his thirst for knowledge and the position of his family education wise encouraged him to pursue further education that will support him to pursue his chosen career with the full support of his parents, he therefore entitled into University Tutorial College, London in the United Kingdom in 1962, and the University of London for his degree course in 1967. He later went to the University of Alberta, Canada in 1973 for his post graduate training. It is indeed not surprising that he received various certificates that enabled him to become an impeccable and respectable professional in a short period of time.
The certificates ranged from basic primary and secondary school certificates to various tertiary education certificates which he obtained in Nigeria and overseas. To crown it all as an educationist, he received Honorary Doctorate degree in Education in the year 2000 from the prestigious Malborough University, United States of America and was conferred with National Honour’s Award of The Officer of the Order of the Niger in 2006. Indeed during the course of his studies, he received certificates from the following institutions; University of London in the United Kingdom in 1956; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1970 and Bayero University, Kano in 1981 and 1982 and 1985 respectively. Specifically, the certificates included Middle IV Certificate in 1955; Grade II Teachers Certificate, 1959; General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level,1959; General Certificate of Education Advance Level, 1962; Bachelor of Arts (General) in Economics, History and Psychology; Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education, 1973 and Ed.D in the year 2000.
His working experience started in 1959 at Senior Primary School, in Kano state where he taught till 1961. Between 1967 and 1968, late Dr. Ahmad taught at Arabic Teachers College, Sokoto in Sokoto state. He held various positions of responsibilities in the college, including Form Master, Games Master among others. From 1968 to 1970, the late education wizard, due to the creation of Kano state out of the then Northern Nigeria in 1967 i.e. within the period under review, was redeployed to Kano from Sokoto and posted to Wudil Teachers College. At the College, late Dr. Datti Ahmad, held various positions of responsibilities which included Teaching, Kitchen Master, Form Master, Vice Principal among others. He was an exemplary senior staff of the college. In fact, it was in view of his performance in the college in terms of accountability, transparency and commitment to duly that in 1970, the deceased was transferred to the headquarters of the Kano State Ministry of Education to serve as the Deputy Finance Officer and even acted as the Finance Officer till 1971.
It will not be out of place, considering the important roles he played in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna States in human and socio-economic development to recommend to the states as well as the Federal Government to immortalize his name. We pray for Allah to make Aljannat Firdausi to be your abode in peace.
Alhaji Yakubu Adamu was a former chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Kano and a former Pro-chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.