Emir of Ringim: A Dignified Silver Jubilee

As we were growing up in the 1970s Kano, the word ‘cooperative’ used to be synonymous with a certain international public servant by the name Alhaji Sayyadi Ringim. Whenever there was any piece of news on ‘Cooperatives’ or the cooperative union or the cooperative movement, more often than not the news would revolve around the activities and utterances of Alhaji Sayyadi, who personified the word. When, in 1991, Jigawa State was excised from Kano State, fate pushed many hitherto Kano Emirate Districts (which, in Kano, approximate Local Government Areas) to form the new state. Ringim, about 70 kilometres to the east of Kano on the way to Hadejia, was one of them. With its associated districts of Jahun and Babura, Ringim was to later become a new Emirate of the same name. (In addition, Dutse, to the South East of Kano, was another new Emirate created out of old Kano, and it went on to become capital of the new state). By the time of the creation of Ringim Emirate, the District Head who was to be elevated to become Emir was Alhaji (Dr) Sayyadi Abubakar Mahmoud Usman CON, “Mr. Cooperatives”. Today, twenty five years later, sons and daughters of Ringim from all over the country are in their town to celebrate their Emir’s – and Emirates’ – Silver Jubilee. A son of Ringim, Abdulrahman Abdullahi ([email protected]) of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja, celebrates his royal father.

Ringim used to be a small, albeit historically significant, town before it came into its own as an Emirate. Citizens, residents and indigenes of the Emirate have known only one traditional ruler since the Emirate’s inception, and that is this Emir, who is himself a prince of Kano’s ruling Dabo House. Born in 1928, almost 90 years ago, the young Sayyadi, like all children in his time, spent his early years at Qur’anic school, Elementary school and Middle school, before he became a classroom teacher in 1946. After a 17-year stint in the teaching profession, he crossed over to the administrative line. He was to later study for higher and higher qualifications commensurate to his call in life.

In the traditional ruling set up, the future Emir for long deputised for his then very elderly father in running the affairs of the Ringim District and, on the old man’s demise, Alhaji Sayyadi was appointed District Head with the title of Danmajen Kano. A year later, he was elevated to Tafidan Kano and, as fate would have it, just another year later saw him again upgraded and appointed First Class Emir, a position he holds today, and for which all of us the people of Ringim are marking a Silver Jubilee.

Professionally, Alhaji Sayyadi made his greatest mark as a leading advocate and pioneer of the Cooperative Movement. He pioneered the creation of Rice Cooperative Society in Ringim, and was active in the Tobacco Farmers Cooperative Society and, by 1952, he was elected Secretary, Ringim Cooperative Farmers Society. He also became Secretary of Ringim Cooperative Thrift and Loan Society in 1960. He then moved on to Kano where, in 1965, the sterling groundwork of the cooperative movement sown by him in Ringim saw him appointed president, Caretaker Committee of Kano Cooperative Union Limited. Three years later, became the president of Kano Cooperative Federation.

He rose to become first Vice President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria and the National Cooperative Wholesale Association. He reached the pinnacle of the national cooperative movement by becoming President of the National Cooperative Credit Union of Nigeria in 1976, and a year later of the National Cooperative Insurance Society of Nigeria. To top it all, Alhaji Sayyadi was in 1980 elected Director of the World Council of Credit Unions and also became Director of the International Cooperative Alliance. And from then on, his name became synonymous with the cooperative movement. He contributed in getting his movement obtain an observer seat at the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU); he also helped in blocking the apartheid South African Cooperative Movement from becoming member of the World Council of Credit Union.

On the political front, like many of his contemporaries in the 1950s and 1960s, Alhaji Sayyadi had to also participate in partisan politics. It was a time when princes, and even Emirs, were expected to not only lead the people traditionally, but also expected to lead on the political front as well. After having garnered experience in the cadres of the Northern Peoples’ Congress, NPC, the future Emir of Ringim was in 1959 elected member of the Nigerian parliament of the First Republic for a 5-year tenure; he was re-elected in 1964, spanning a 10-year experience as a legislator.

On becoming Emir, Alhaji Sayyadi had to create an Emirate from scratch, literally. As member of a five-branched Jigawa Council of Emirs (the others being the much older Emirates of Hadejia, Gumel and Kazaure, and his new counterpart, Dutse). He immensely benefitted from the respect of his traditional colleagues in the other Emirates who regarded him as a father-figure, not only on account of his age but also because of his vast experience in administration. His colleagues always sought his counsel, and still do. His words are respected and accorded highest regards by both his colleagues and political leaders alike. His contributions have helped in no small measure in the near absolute tranquility in the young Jigawa State.

More often than not, traditional rulers have to traverse the unquenchable ocean of expectations from their people, in that they are expected to be the final arbiters in any matter, civil or criminal, social or economic, even political, and are expected to adjudicate and resolve every matter amicably, and to everybody’s satisfaction. This explains the level of responsibilities they shoulder in the discharge of their ascribed royal duties. And the Emir of Ringim has tried his best in doing that, and more. His professional acumen and lifelong experience as a public servant helped him in ruling his people with equity, justice and compassion. And this can be seen in the 25 years of peaceful and purposeful leadership.

Within this twenty five years, Ringim Emirate and Ringim town have witnessed various achievements which could directly be attributed to this Emir. In the field of education, for example, the town now boasts of a tertiary College of Islamic Legal Studies whose graduates have gone on to higher studies and have become lawyers, judges and other legal professionals. The historic Government Secondary School Ringim was also transformed into a unity college which attracts students from all over the Northern States on exchange.

In 1993, the Emir was appointed the first Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, and the institution showed its gratitude to him by awarding him an honourary doctorate a year later. In 2003, the Federal Government of Nigeria honoured the Emir with the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON.

As our Emir celebrates 25 years as pioneer Emir of Ringim, as well as clocking more than eighty years in his sojourn on this earth, we, the people of Ringim, pray for his long life.

Ran Sarki ya dade!