Tribute to Alhaji Garba Baban Ladi Satatima (Barden Madakin Kano)

Alhaji Garba’s name certainly rings a bell within and outside Nigeria

Musa Diso

 

Alhaji Garba Baban Ladi Satatima was born on April 21, 1947 to Malam Muhammad Inuwa – a civil servant with the then Native Authority (NA) in Kano emirate council and Hajia Halima – the first female nurse at the Nasarawa Specialist hospital, who hailed from Kano Municipal Local Government Area and also a descendant of Shatimawa royal clan.

Alhaji Garba’s name certainly rings a bell within and outside Nigeria; the reason simply being that he served for over 50 years in many strategic positions in Kano and Nigeria, making history in many instances, though he was a teacher by profession and rose to the zenith of the profession as the founder, Proprietor and director of Masallaci Adult Education Centre Shahuci.

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His quest for education and knowledge started at the age of 4 with Quranic education under the care of Malam Mai Yan Mari. He later studied at the Quranic education school in Kurawa quarters in Kano Municipal Local Government Area, as well as from Malam Isyaaku Kawu and Malam Ahmadu Wudil respectively.

Alhaji Garba was sent to primary school at the age of 11 and he attended Yolawa Islamic Primary School from 1955 to 1957 and in 1958, he was sent to Kofar Kudu Primary School located at the palace of the emir of Kano. He later went to Kuka Senior Primary School in Fagge Local Government Area, from where he passed out in 1964. Though he was desirous of furthering his education, he was offered a job immediately after completing his primary education.

While he worked, his determination and devotion to educational pursuit and also his quest for knowledge continued to develop which led him to enrol into Igbo Union Grammar School evening classes in other to further his education. However, two years later, the school was closed down due to civil unrest in 1966 at the wake of the first military coup d’état.

Nevertheless, Garba baban ladi Satatima attended various courses to improve his knowledge. In 1974, he attended an intermediate level trade union leadership course, he also attended senior clerical course at the School of Management Studies Kano in 1977.

He started his working experience with the Native Authority (NA) in 1964 as a scribe to Waje district head and later he was posted to the office of the Gwagwarwa village head as a revenue officer.

He was involved in meaningful public-oriented activities for the wellbeing of mankind and development of the society. He also actively participated in the formation of various youth organizations and co-operative societies. He was either a founding member of one association or the other or held a certain position.

He was among the founders of Gwagwarwa self help group and Arewa yan-bana modernization club Kano State. He was a pioneer member and co-founder of Kungiyar zabi sonka ta jihar Kano – a hausa request radio program club which he was the secretary. He was the founding father and chairman of Satatima self-help group and also one-time national organizer of the young Muslims congress of Nigeria.

Because of his love for culture, he was foremost in the formation of Muhammadu Rumfa cultural group where he held the post of vice president and later elected as president. He also played a vital role in an attempt to establish a rural television viewing centre in Garungudunya for the benefit of the people of the village and environs in order to enhance public awareness.

Garba Babanladi Satatima attended various seminars and workshops and was also involved in the running of different governmental and non-governmental organizations. He co-founded the National Council for Adult Education, Kano State chapter and also participated in a workshop on the formulation of a national adult education literacy syllabus at the National Centre for Adult Literacy and non-formal Education, Kano.

He was actively involved and innovative in any organization he belonged. He had on many occasions initiated and, in some cases, presented various television and radio programmes with special reference to literacy development, in his efforts to enhance public enlightenment and awareness in the mass literacy campaign programme. Among such initiatives was ‘Mu Yaki Jahilci’ – an educational program with emphasis on eradication of illiteracy in the society. It was featured on NTA Kano in Hausa language and presented by him.

There was ‘Kowa ya bar gida’ – aimed at drawing the attention of the society on the importance and need to embrace culture as a valuable asset. Another programme created and presented by him on the same station was ‘ko-an-san’ which was documentary and historical in nature.

Also aired on CTV Kano was ‘dokin zage’ in which he, as the presenter, rode on a horse to different locations in Kano State and met with kids. It was educative to the children as well.

In the political circle, Garba Baban Ladi Satatima was a member of the then Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU). He was also a member of the late Malam Aminu Kano-led Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); he was the secretary of the party in Satatima Quarters. Later, he became chapter branch Secretary for Shahuci constituency. He was also elected as vice chairman, youth wing of the party in Kano State.

He also served as coordinator of the party in Sokoto which now comprises Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states. And most importantly, he worked in various committees of the party in different capacity. His involvement and active service as secretary of the committee for unification of the party was indeed impressive. The committee was able to unite the warring factions of the party in the local government areas including kano municipal, which of course produced a conducive political atmosphere and tremendous success.

Garba Babaladi Satatima held different positions in the Native Authority until he took up appointment with the Kano State Agency for Mass Education. He was employed by the agency in 1980 as a supervisor on Grade level 06. He later became deputy zonal officer in charge of Kano Municipal and Dawakin kudu LGA which currently consist of about nine local government areas. He was at the same time the officer in charge on non-governmental organization for literacy support services and acting officer in charge of women centres under the agency.

He also headed government employees illiteracy program as acting head of the supervision department.

Since the establishment of the Kano State agency for Mass Education, Garba Babanladi Satatima had contributed in one way or the other in various occasions and functions relating to literacy, especially at basic level and also special programmes organized by the agency. He either participated or assigned the organizing of literacy program and training of personnel towards the development of an effective manpower in the agency.

On the creation of MAMSER, he coordinated basic literacy programmes for MAMSER in conjunction with national centre from adult and non-formal education Kano. Alhaji Garba used his wealth of experience in the execution and implementation of the literacy program of MAMSER and was able to raise the level of literacy to a practicable peak through sponsorship of literacy programs and the establishment on literacy classes all over the federation.

He trained officers for literacy program at basic level in some states like Katsina, Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Bauchi and Borno. He received several letters of commendation from government agencies and individuals for his roles and relentless efforts towards eradication of illiteracy.

Self-commitment, endurance, self-respect, tolerance, simplicity, open-mindedness, honesty, hard-work and experience are some of the qualities that made Garba Babanladi Satatima a dynamic personality. These attributes earned him the ability and capability to handle affairs effectively, resulting to effective service and improved productivity.

 

Musa Diso sent in this tribute from Kano