Emir of Gusau dies, Tinubu, Gov Lawal mourn

The Emir of Gusau in Zamfara State, Dr. Ibrahim Bello, on Friday passed on at the age of 71 after a protracted illness in Abuja. President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dauda Lawal have expressed sadness over the loss of the monarch.    Emir Bello lived a life of service at different levels — Tinubu President […]

The Emir of Gusau in Zamfara State, Dr. Ibrahim Bello, on Friday passed on at the age of 71 after a protracted illness in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dauda Lawal have expressed sadness over the loss of the monarch. 

 

Emir Bello lived a life of service at different levels — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has described the emir as a man who would be remembered for his commitment to the cause of the people.

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In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the traditional ruler’s death as “a collective loss beyond his immediate domain, citing his lifelong service at different levels.” 

The president noted that the late emir would be remembered for his sense of duty, commitment to his people and exemplary leadership.

President Tinubu extended his commiseration to the government and people of Zamfara State, as well as the family of the late monarch and prayed for Allah’s mercy on the soul of the departed emir.

Similarly, the Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, commiserated with the people of the state over the loss of the traditional ruler.

In the statement, the governor described the emir’s death as a personal loss, noting that he was a supportive royal father and a capable leader who dedicated himself to making Zamfara State better.

The governor stated, “I received the news of the passing of our father, His Royal Highness, Dr Ibrahim Bello, the Emir of Gusau with deep sadness.

“I express my heartfelt condolences to the Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, the immediate and extended families of the late emir, Gusau Emirate and the entire people of Zamfara State.

“The passing of His Highness is a huge loss for the people of Zamfara State, as well as the North and Nigeria as a whole. The late royal father dedicated 10 years to serving the people after becoming the 15th Emir of Gusau on March 16, 2015. He led with commitment, dedication and strong sense of faith.”

The governor prayed that God grants the emir Aljannah, saying he was his father and confidant.

“I have lost a confidant and father whose wisdom guides me and other leaders in the state. May the Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah,” he said.

 

‘The Sarkin Katsinan Gusau was close to his people’

Residents of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State and its environs were thrown into mourning on Friday after the death of the emir was confirmed by the secretary of Gusau Emirate, Alhaji Sambo A. Sambo.

Born in 1954, the late monarch, an administrator, politician and educationist served Zamfara State in various capacities before he became an emir in 2015 after succeeding his father. His sudden demise was described as a great loss, not only to his immediate family but Gusau Emirate, Zamfara State, the North and traditional institutions across the country.

The late Sarkin Katsinan Gusau acquired his early education in Zamfara State. He attended Mada Primary School, and later, Middle School, Kwatarkwashi and proceeded to Government Secondary School (GSS), Gusau, from where he and his colleagues were moved to Government Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, where they completed their secondary education.

Immediately after graduation, the late monarch got admission into the famous School of Nursing, Sokoto, where he graduated and was posted to Gusau General Hospital as a nursing officer. He worked in different departments, including the surgical ward.

After working for a while, the late emir went to The Polytechnic Kaduna for further studies; and upon graduation, he was posted to the School of Nursing, Sokoto as a lecturer.

While at the school of nursing, he secured a foreign scholarship and went to Bolton University, United Kingdom and obtained his first degree at the Institute of Education. After a while, he proceeded to the famous Manchester University for his master’s degree.

When he returned to Nigeria, the late royal father was appointed the principal of the School of Health Technology, Jega in the present Kebbi State. From there, he joined the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and supervised the Danko/Sakaba/Wasagu project. After working with UNICEF, the late emir was appointed the director of the Abdulrahman School of Health Technology, Gwadabawa.

However, when Zamfara State was carved out from Sokoto State, the late Sarkin Katsina was appointed the director of the Zamfara State Primary Health Care. After the successful return of civilian government in 1999, the then government of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) under Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura appointed him as commissioner.

However, Emir Bello asked the government to take him back to the mainstream civil service; hence he was appointed a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health. From the ministry, he was moved to the Office of the Head of Service, also as a permanent secretary. He retired from civil service in 2003.

When the Yariman Bakura-led administration created development councils in the state, the late Sarkin Katsinan Gusau was appointed as the first sole administrator of Mada Area Development Council.

He was at one time the secretary of Mada and Tsafe local governments respectively before being appointed as commissioner for animal and husbandry.

The Sarkin Katsinan Gusau was appointed the Emir of Gusau in March 2015 after the death of his cousin, Muhammad Kabir Dambaba. He ruled for only 10 years as the 9th Emir of Gusau.

A humble, trusted, humane and jovial traditional ruler, the late monarch passed away while preparing to celebrate his 10th anniversary on the throne.

Weekend Trust learnt that the late monarch’s popular slogan in Gusau Emirate and among his peers was ‘Allah na kowa ne amma ba kowa ne na Allah ba’, which means ‘the divine loves all but not all love the divine.’  

During his reign, Gusau Emirate witnessed tremendous developments, including physical structures, the secretary of the emirate, Alhaji Sambo A. Sambo confirmed.

“The late emir was able to build some structures in the palace, which indeed beautified the palace. He built some structures in the palace and had plans to build more, but as God had it, he could not stay longer to achieve his dreams,” Sambo recalled.

Sambo explained that the emir had contributed immensely to the development of Gusau Emirate in particular and the traditional institution in general, saying he sacrificed his life for the wellbeing of his subjects.

“The late Emir Ibrahim Bello was a complete gentleman, humane and generous. I was one of the closest people to the emir right from childhood. We grew up together, attended primary school together and remained very close till Friday when he passed away. His death is a great loss not, only to his immediate family but to the entire people of Gusau, Zamfara State and the North.

“He was the kind of person who always cared about his people. He was a soft-hearted traditional leader who believed in working for his people. If you wanted to test his anger, just reprimand his subjects and you would certainly see the other side of him. And if you wanted to live in peace with the emir, leave his people alone; period.

“Another interesting thing about the late monarch is that despite being an emir, he never abandoned his friends. Throughout his life, the emir remained connected to all his friends. All his childhood friends, schoolmates, coworkers, political friends and traditional rulers were interacting with him. The emir remained connected with all these classes of friends throughout his lifetime,” he noted.

He was survived by two wives, 21 children and many grandchildren.

His funeral prayers, which attracted thousands of Muslim faithful within and outside Zamfara State, took place at Gusau Emirate at 4pm on Friday.

 

Contributions from Yusha’u A. Ibrahim and Baba Martins