Reminiscences with Alhaji Abubakar Hamidu Girei

Alhaji Abubakar Hamidu Girei was a teacher and administrator in the Northern Region and old Gongola State. He taught many military officers, civilian governors and high-flying public officers. He also played a key role in the installation of emirs and chiefs across the Northern Region, including the late Shehu of Borno, Mustapha Ibn Elkanemi and the late Emir of Minna, Alhaji Ahmadu Bahago. In this interview, the 91-year-old reflects on his life journey.

Tell us about your early years.

I was born in 1929. I started my education in Girei Elementary School in 1939 and proceeded to Middle School, Yola, in 1943. From there, I moved to Barewa College in 1947. After completing my secondary education in 1950, I applied for employment in Adamawa Native Authority and was successful. I was sent to Kastina Teachers’ College in 1951, where I obtained my Teachers Grade Two Certificate in 1952.

Who were your classmates in Girei Elementary School?

I can’t remember many, but Isah Modibbo was a close friend.

You were in Yola Middle School and Barewa College, can you share your experiences in both places?

In those days, the Northern Nigeria Ministry of Education conducted examination for candidates into middle schools. In 1943, I was selected after passing the examination to attend the middle school in Yola. There again, I met Isah Modibbo and Babayola Mustapha. After that, in 1946 there was again an examination conducted by the ministry to Kaduna College, which later transformed into Barewa College. Several of us took the exam, but unfortunately, a creme of the class couldn’t scale through. What happened was that northern Nigeria had a policy that centered on fairness to all parts and ensured equal opportunities across the region.

In Adamawa, there was what we called Division, where you had Muri Division, Adamawa Division and so on. In 1946, there had never been any student from Muri Division in middle school, so Sambo Jalingo, a classmate, who though couldn’t match some of us in academics, was given the chance because he was the first candidate from Muri who sat for the examination. They just wanted a candidate, and since it was the first time someone from that division was applying, out of fairness, he was considered. Our headmaster in Yola Middle School and teachers were not happy.

In 1947, we repeated the examination and five of us went through to the Kaduna College. They had to move Katsina College to the centre of the North, and Kaduna was chosen temporarily while they were putting up the permanent structure in Zaria. When the permanent site was ready in 1948, the school moved to Zaria and was later renamed Barewa College.

Who were your mates in Yola Middle School you went to Kaduna with?

Muhammadu Zaria, Ambassador Modibbo and others moved from Yola.

What was the experience like at Barewa?

It was a fascinating experience. The school moulded us into what we became later in life.

Can you still remember your mates, including juniors in Barewa?

There was Pam from Jos; I can’t remember his first name. There were also Ibrahim Biu and Ahmadu Kurfi. Yakubu Gowon was one of my juniors. I was two years ahead of him. I was the room head and he was among the juniors in my room.

After Barewa, where was your next destination?

The principal of the college was a Briton. Isah Koton was among the teachers. The principal was a disciplinarian and a product of the World War. He wanted some of us to join the army at the tail end of our sojourn in the college. He was a retired major and close to the Sardauna, Ahmadu Bello.

He was bringing solders to drill us every week, but we didn’t know his intention was to get us to show interest in the military. When we were about rounding off, one day I was in the class when someone came to tell me that the principal wanted to see me. I started shivering because it was unusual for the principal to want to see a student. In those days, whenever the principal specifically invited a student, such lad must have committed a grievous offence deserving a serious punishment. I remember an incident during a prep when some students were making noise; he saw me standing and sharpening my pencil and he thought I was among those involved. “You are making noise? I will deal with you,’’ he threatened and matched me to his office where he ordered the sergeant major to give me six strokes of the cane.

When he invited you this time, what happened?

As was his characteristics, he removed his glasses and gave me a long stare. I prayed that the ground should just open and swallow me. Then he replaced the glasses and asked, “You will join the army?” My head was already shaking in the negative before I could even open my mouth to say the words. He asked again and the ‘no sir’ came out. He almost jumped at me, and said he would see that I would not get a job. My heart almost stopped. You know what it meant for the principal of Barewa College to say that he would make sure you did not get a job after school. I went to my dormitory crying. My friend, Isah Modibbo consoled me and said when we got to Yola we would look for a teaching job.

When we came back to Yola, we went to our former school and were asked to come back on Monday. On Sunday I went to see Isah to arrange how and when we would go to the school, only for him to tell me that he was no longer interested in the teaching job. He said his father said he would not want him to be a teacher. I had no alternative, so I went alone. The white man was happy and quickly  prepared my appointment with the Adamawa Native Authority. I was then sent to Kastina Teachers’ College in 1951, where I obtained my Teacher’s Grade Two Certificate in 1952. On return, I was posted to General Murtala Muhammed College, Yola in 1953, where I taught at 31 periods a week for nine years.

How did your teaching years turn out?

It was a wonderful experience. I taught many people who turned out to be highly placed and excelled in their chosen careers.

Who were your students?

Among them was Air Marshall Ibrahim Alfa, General Paul Tarfa, Admiral Murtala Nyako, Wakilin Adamawa, Hassan Adamu, Lamido Adamawa, Barkindo and others.

Tell us more about these students, how would you describe them?

Barkindo wouldn’t have become who he later turned out to be if not for the guidance and discipline I subjected him to. He thought that as a prince, everything would be easy and he should be above everybody. Even the principal was afraid of disciplining him, but I always kept him in check. If he was doing something wrong and people told him I was coming, he would run away.

Tarfa was good in Mathematics and this drew him closer to me. He had his way around figures that baffled many. He was always neat and carried himself well. Alfa and Nyako were also good students and close to me. Alfa was a top class student and quite humble.

Were some of them able to maintain contact with you after they left school?

Yes, much longer. The Wakilin Adamawa, especially, would come and sit here (pointing at the carpet). We would discuss for hours like father and son. It was a wonderful experience.

What happened after your teaching career?

After my teaching career, I applied and joined the Northern Nigeria Government. I was lucky to have been sent to Kongo Administration Centre, Zaria. At the end of the course, I secured appointment as an assistant district officer, with powers of a magistrate grade three and a corona in 1961. In those days, assistant district officers were involved in everything concerning the community; that’s why we were taught aspects of law, as well as anthropology. The chief justice of Northern Nigeria himself taught us.

What happened in Niger Province, where you were first posted?

I cannot forget our first experience as administrative officers when we were posted to Boko, the troubled area of Niger Province.

The purpose was to collect the sum of 4 pounds, 6 shillings, made up of 2 pounds 2 shillings levy for the damage made during riot and 2 pounds 4 shillings Haraji from each taxpayer before we were to be released to go to our normal postings. I collected 85percent of what could be collected before I was released to Bida Division of Niger Province for my normal posting.

One day, I decided to visit the then Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Muhammadu Ndayako to pay my homage, and the Dogaris went to inform him. When I was brought before him, he welcomed me, calling me his son, and before I left Bida, everybody regarded me as the son of the emir and treated me as such. I was there for nine months and posted again to Minna Division as an assistant district officer. My assignment was to receive Alhaji Ahmadu Bahago from Kuta hill for the traditional prayer for his appointment as the Emir of Minna in 1962. Before then, he was a chief, and before the turbaning, he had to be taken to Kuta hill for one week.

I was appointed as the Niger provincial census officer, in addition to my duty as the divisional officer of Minna. On conclusion, the whole thing was nullified, to be verified in 1963. I was again appointed as the Minna provincial officer for the verification work, as well as divisional officer. Malam Liman Ciroma was my provincial secretary.

How did you combine these two responsibilities; and why was the outcome of that census cancelled?

It was tough, but we had no choice because there were manpower shortage and inadequate materials. As district officer I had no assistant. Again, I was mandated to handle the provisional census. The assignment had to be carried out, so we did all we could to ensure its success. I had to drive from one location to another.

Why was it cancelled despite all the efforts and preparation put in place?

Politics.

Can you speak more on why that very important exercise was annulled?

Young man, let it be.

What happened afterwards?

We had to do census verification. I was also made the verification officer, and the exercise was successful.

After your assignment in Niger, where were you moved to?

I resumed in Katsina as a senior divisional officer in January 1964. I met Usman Nagogo as the then emir. Abubakar Koko was the provincial secretary. While there, I accompanied the late Muhammadu Bashir, a minister under Sardauna, who later became the Emir of Daura, to Niger. By then, Liman Ciroma was already secretary to the Northern Nigeria Government. He sent a message informing me to be at the Kano airport the next day to join the minister on a week visit to Niger Republic as representatives of the premier.  I set out early from Katsina in my small Holden car and arrived at the Kano airport before the 9am take off time. Also on the entourage was a classmate, Alhaji Muhammad Argungu. We met  Hamani Diori and conveyed Sardauna’s message. We went on a tour of the country before leaving.

I left Katsina for Kaduna, where I joined the Ministry of Economic Planning, where Bashir was minister. Adamu Suleiman, a former Inspector-General of Police, was permanent secretary. Suleiman was my mate, also in Barewa. I was assistant secretary there.

In 1966, the premier of the Northern Region, Sardauna, was killed; how did you receive the news?

We were in the ministry when Suleiman told us what happened to Sardauna. It was a sad day for all of us and everybody was running helter-skelter. I went with Suleiman to confirm the news, but it was already everywhere. It wasn’t long before new states were created and I was sent to the North-East temporary headquarters in Bauchi as under-secretary, with Brigadier Musa Usman as the military governor. Muhammad Mongonu was the secretary to the military government. They complained that there were not enough offices and residential accommodation in Bauchi, so it was decided that the capital should move to Maiduguri. I was asked to proceed there and make provision for accommodation and put in place, necessarily machinery for the movement. I was made under-secretary under Monguno.

Although a chiefdom, Ganye in Sardauna Province couldn’t produce a chief for a long time due to crises that always trailed every attempt to do so; tell us how you managed to install a ruler for the chiefdom without crisis?

I was moved to Mubi as provincial secretary of Sardama Province and directed to open the case of appointment of chief of Ganye, which almost defied attempts since 1960. In 1970, an attempt to open the case met bloody riots, thousands were arrested and kept in prisons. Half of the unit of the army was deployed to quell it and maintain calm. In 1971, as the provincial secretary of Sardauna Province, I was directed to again open the chieftaincy case. I requested that a senior district officer be assigned to me for the job, which was granted. My assistant, a Kanuri lad from the present day Yobe State, and I spent weeks in Ganye, engaging stakeholders and putting in place, necessary measures to ensure a hitch-free process.

It was a tough exercise. At some point I had to dash to Mubi to take care of certain administrative issues. One night, the policeman attached to me came to inform me that my assistant would want to see me. I was surprised at what would have brought him to Mubi at 12am. He came in and told me that tension was brewing again. We put strategy in place to deal with the matter, and after we finished, I asked him to go and sleep in my quarters, but he said he was going back to put the plan in motion despite the condition of the road. Such was the kind of civil servants we had in those days.

Ganye had seven contending districts for the chieftaincy seat, and naturally, voting had to be employed. Each district was allowed to nominate a candidate, but only three were able to do so. Out of two, one could not agree on a candidate, while the other candidate, Philip Makane, was disqualified because he was the ringleader of the earlier riot and was in detention. There were three who contested and Alhaji Umaru Sanda emerged winner. Finally, the military governor ordered me to prepare and enthrone him as chief. Now, Ganye has an emirate.

You also played a role in the emergence of the late Alhaji Mustapha Ibn Elkanem as the Shehu of Borno; can you tell us how it happened?

Yes, that was another dicey one. After the assignment in Ganye was concluded, one day I received a message from the military governor, directing me to proceed to Borno to replace Musa Gombe as provincial secretary. I was surprised because the person in question was my senior. In the North-East, Borno was ahead of other provinces in hierarchy, while Sardauna Province was the least. You can imagine my misgivings. But the military governor insisted I should proceed. And he was also from Borno; so I resumed.

Few days later, I was directed to prepare for his visit to Bauch Province, so I had to go to Potiskum  and prepare for his arrival. During the dinner, his secretary, one Shettima, came to whisper to me that the military governor would like to see me afterwards. I waited after the meal and he beckoned on me to come. We exchanged pleasantries and he told me in Hausa that he brought me to Borno for an important assignment and that he would support my decision. He didn’t say clearly what it was, but there were already rumours about the vacuum created by the death of the last Shehu, so I had to carry out my own private investigation on the matter.

There were contending interests – the then Waziri wanted the Shehu of Bama as a candidate. Tension was building in Maiduguri over the matter. I set to work, and from my findings, although they were brothers, there was no way the arrangement could work. There was a legal document separating the two. Both Borno and Bama had separate laws guiding their operations, which many people were ignorant of. So I knew what to do, having the guidance of the law. I called the police boss and told him what needed to be done to provide security.

We sent out messages and fixed the day for the event. People gathered, and as the representative of the governor, I addressed them. I promised that I would not interfere in the process. I told them that it was their event and only them could decide who would emerge, and that they could use whatever medium of communication. However, although I promised not to intervene, I had to supervise the process to relay my experience to my principal.

After my address, the Waziri took over and started campaigning for his candidate. He went on for more than 15 minutes while others were becoming agitated. I wasn’t comfortable because the atmosphere was already charging. So I asked him to round off so that others would also speak. The three others representing different tribes attacked and reigned curses at him. It was supposed to be a simple process because even a child knew who should emerge. When he realised that nobody was with him, he tried to walk out, but I jokingly said since the process started with a prayer they should wait for the closing prayer. So it ended and Mustapha emerged.

At some point, states were created and civil servants like you were moved to their respective states of origin; what positions did you hold at the initial stage of the old Gongola State?

I was the acting permanent secretary, local government, and acting permanent secretary, health in Gongola in 1976.  From health, I became permanent secretary, education, and later, secretary to the military government to Mohammed Jega. I was head of service to the civilian administration of Abubakar Barde in 1979 also.

There was a story of your resignation from the Barde-led government over an issue based on principle; can you shed light on this?

In 1979 when Barde was governor, they started appointing people who were on levels 09 and 0-10 to the position of permanent secretary. As the head of service, I was disturbed and had to book an appointment with him. When I went, I saw him and his deputy, as well as the secretary to the government, already seated. And all the three of them were my staff when I was in education. They all knew me very well. Barde himself was my student. The secretary to the government couldn’t stay, so he left. I told them I didn’t like what was going on. They tried to defend their action, but I told them it was wrong to promote people just because they supported them during the campaign. They could reward them in another way. They could give them board positions, but to elevate them above others to permanent secretaries would disrupt the civil service setup. When they tried to stand their ground, it was getting to 2pm and prayer time, so I told them that if I had behaved as they were doing, none of them would have been where they were, especially Barde.

I had six years to retire, but I told them I was leaving. When I got to my office, I asked my secretary to draft my resignation letter, and after three days he granted the approval and I left.

You also served during Jega’s second coming as military governor of Gongola State, how did you return to the service after your unceremonial exit?

When Jega came, he invited me to serve as SMG again, but I declined. He was disturbed by my decision. I told him it would not be honourable for me to accept the position. I told him it was not okay if in the entire Gongola he could not trust anyone else but me. When he insisted, I said I would suggest someone to hold the position. We had to look for the most senior permanent secretary in the service, Alhaji Abu Jimeta, for the position. I said I could accept any other position except that. He was not happy, but he accepted my decision.

What other positions did you hold after your active civil service career?

I served in the Federal Electoral Commission, Gongola State (1980-1983); state commissioner, Gongola State (1983-1985); member, Justice Mustapha Akambi Inquiry (1986); member, Federal College of Education (Special), Uyo (1988); chairman, Adamawa State Post-primary Schools Board (1990); chairman, Upper Benue and Rural Development Authority (1992); elected member (Yola Central), Federal Constitutional Conference Assembly, Abuja (1993-1994); chairman, Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (2000); pioneer member, Gongola Development Association; pioneer member, Girei Development Association, and pioneer member, Gongola Police Relations Committee.