By Louis Okoroma
To those who are used to Atiku Abubakar, it did not come as a
surprise though the
news raised eyebrows in a pleasant way, when whispers turned
to reality. On
June 1st, 2017, a routine meeting of the Adamawa
Emirate Council, held
in Yola, capital of Adamawa State, under the able leadership
of the Lamido of
Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Aliyu Musdafa. The meeting took the
significant and
important decision to elevate the former Vice President,
Atiku Abubakar in the
hierarchy of the nobility of the Emirate.
The
former Vice President and an illustrious son of the Emirate
was pronounced the
Waziri Adamawa, or traditional Prime Minister of the
Emirate. For Atiku, as he
is fondly called by all and sundry, the journey to the
revered rank of Waziri
has been a long one. Before now, he has been the proud and
contented holder of
the revered and princely title of “Turaki’’, a title
which has competed and
interchanged with his name Atiku for more than three
decades.
In
traditional Fulani society, the Turaki, is a prince who is
in charge of the
household matters of the Lamido or Emir and he is usually
regarded as a
favourite of the ruler. Thus, the holder of the title, is
not a commoner or
outsider but someone who has blood ties to the royal
house.
It
is a testimony to the staying power of this man, and divine
favour, that he is
around to have the title bestowed on him having been the
Turaki Adamawa for
close to 35 years. It was on November 19, 1982 that in pomp
and pageantry, and
in the presence of Nigerians of all walks of life, that
Atiku Abubakar, was
turbaned as the Turaki Adamawa at the palace of the then
Lamido, the late
Lamido Aliyu Musdafa, of blessed memory.
Therefore,
those who initially raised eyebrows about the Lamido’s
decision to confer the
Waziri title on Atiku Abubakar could be pardoned because it
seemed the decision
was taken by consensus and spontaneity, by the members of
the Emirate Council following
the demise of the former occupant of that position, and the
urgent need to fill
the position with a popular, and effective person. Being a
member of the royal
family of the Emirate by virtue of his marriage to one of
the daughters of the
late Lamido, Princess Rukaiyat, who is a sister of the
current traditional
ruler, Atiku’s qualification is not in
doubt.
Added
to his eligibility, is the fact that all through the years
that he served as
Turaki, he displayed utmost loyalty to the traditional
institution and
supported the latter to ensure the peace, prosperity and
development of the
Emirate. Atiku’s energy and appeal, according to
observers, has greatly
delighted the Lamido and his Council. It was therefore
natural that they found
for him higher responsibility, an opportunity which
presented itself when the
critical and strategic position of Waziri or prime minister,
became vacant.
As
traditional prime minister, the new Waziri would be expected
to be a reliable
Counsellor to the Lamido, assisting him with advice for the
good governance,
peace and stability of the Emirate. The new Waziri, in the
thinking of those
who know him will excel in this task given the great love he
has for his native
Adamawa State and its people.
Adamawa
Emirate and by extension Adamawa State, is endowed with many
outstanding
individuals who have played prominent roles in the life of
the Nigerian nation
and Adamawa State. Atiku Abubakar is a primus inter pares
among Adamawa’s
illustrious sons and daughters.
“You
are fit for this position (of Waziri) because of your total
loyalty and support
to the development of the (Adamawa) Emirate. Since
independence of Nigeria, no
citizen of the Emirate had shown love and patriotism to
Adamawa like you. You
promoted Adamawa to the world and may Allah bless you and
give you more health
and long life to continue the good work,” Galadima of
Adamawa, Alhaji Mustafa
Aminu had eulogized the new Waziri when he led a delegation
to pay homage to
him.
In
addition, the new Waziri Adamawa would easily qualify as
that one among the
many distinguished sons and daughters of the Emirate who has
perhaps had the
most profound impact on the area, its people and its
contemporary history.
Yola,
the capital of Adamawa State and the seat of the Emirate is
a lively, burstling
and academically towering town, thanks to the fame of the
American University of
Nigeria (AUN), founded by Atiku and located in the town. A
Development
University, the first of its kind in Africa, together with
other tertiary
institutions in the capital, either owned by the Federal or
Adamawa State
government, has changed the outlook and atmosphere of the
town and the entire
State.
The
Waziri Adamawa is an enthusiastic entrepreneur, businessman,
politician and
philanthropist. He has put a huge population in the Emirate
and beyond to work
by providing them employment in the University that he built
and the other
businesses that he has founded in the area. The Waziri has
set up agricultural
farms, a beverages company and an animal feed company. Aside
the desire to
enrich agriculture and livestock in the Northeast region and
other regions of
the country, one other purpose for which reason the new
Waziri ventured into
animal feed business, is to provide cheap, quality and
nutritious animal feed
that would make open grazing by herdsmen across the country,
less attractive,
thereby assisting the nation to put an end to the bloody and
violent clashes
between herdsmen and farmers in the country and which has
greatly soured social
and ethnic relations among Nigerians. Thus, the person
chosen as the new Waziri
of Adamawa, is a practical person who solves problems and in
the process,
brings diverse peoples together.
Observers
are of the view that the detribalized person that the Waziri
is, as well as his
interest and ability in development and transformation of
people and the
environment, would recommend him highly to the diverse
peoples of Nigeria who
are in need of a true democratic leader to guide the nation
in justice and
equity. Thus, his elevation to the second most important
leadership position in
the Emirate is a recognition for his many years of
philanthropy that has
touched lives and impacted on the aesthetics of the
Emirate.
The
educational and business enterprises set up by the Waziri
Atiku Abubakar has
greatly changed the appearance of Yola, the seat of the
Adamawa Emirate, from a
sleepy town that it used to be, to a modest cosmopolitan
city that it is today,
which has a huge potential for growth and development. Yola,
is now home to
Nigerians of all walks of life and foreigners alike, who in
various ways keep
the many enterprises of the Waziri running and
well.
Going
by the above, it is clear that the appointment of the former
Vice President,
Atiku Abubakar as Waziri Adamawa by the traditional ruling
Council of the
Emirate, was well thought out. It is a win-win situation for
the people and the
traditional authority in the area. And to ensure that the
Emirate retains the
Atiku persona in the affairs of the area, like Oliver Twist,
the council in its
wisdom, decided to also appoint one of the Waziri’s many
sons, Aliyu Atiku
Abubakar, son of the Princess Rukaiyat of Adamawa, to step
into his shoes as
the new Turaki Adamawa.
As
the new Waziri starts to discharge the responsibilities
attached to this
important traditional political office, one hopes that he
would as usual do his
best and also remain his humble self, a friend, leader and
benefactor to
several people in the Adamawa Emirate and the nation at
large.
Louis Okoroma is a Public Affairs Analyst
based in
Abuja.