The Emir of Gaya, one of the four newly upgraded emirates in Kano State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim, will today, Saturday, January 26, 2020, turban Alhaji Usman Alhaji, Kano’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG), as Wazirin Gaya thereby making him one of the kingmakers of the emirate.
Prior to his appointment as waziri, Alhaji Usman Alhaji was the Walin Gaya since the creation of the four emirates by the present administration.
Born in Gaya Town in 1948, Alhaji who hails from the lineage of Malam Dalhatu, a former Gaya judge, had his education at the Government College, Birnin Kudu, in present day Jigawa State, between 1962 and 1966 before proceeding to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he bagged a BA in English Literature (Education).
He lectured in the Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies (CAS) before he left for other engagements, holding positions at state and federal levels.
His desire in the development of humanity has made Alhaji a teacher, politician, bureaucrat and technocrat and he uses these endowments to impact immensely on the lives of the people of Kano State in particular and Nigeria in general.
As Assistant General Manager (AGM) at the Hadejia/Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), Alhaji greatly assisted farmers that were conducting their activities under the scheme.
The SSG was once the Director General (DG) of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), an opportunity that gave him a chance to contribute his quota in the area of commerce.
In politics, Alhaji was selected as a member of the Constitution Review Committee of 1989, and also served as the Secretary General of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1990.
His philanthropy and good manners no doubt played vital roles in convincing the emirate to recommend him for this prestigious position. It is obvious that Alhaji as Wazirin Gaya will bring enormous development not only to his subjects but to the emirate as a whole.
As part of his effort in helping and educating the less privileged, Alhaji established a private school named Usman International School, and he sponsors people with disabilities in the school.
The school has so far graduated many students who have excelled and are now serving in different capacities.
Gaya is the oldest and most significant site in Kano’s history and is said to precede the foundation of Kano itself.
The town served as an important terminus and corridor through which people migrated, especially from Eastern Sudan, the Maghrib and the Middle East.
Bagauda and his people were said to have passed through Gaya before making their way to Dala and establishing the Kingdom of Kano in 999 CE, before it was later absorbed into the newly founded Kano Emirate.
Gaya Emirate was founded in March, 2019, and upgraded to first class status alongside three others by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The emirate presently has Gaya, Ajingi, Albasu, Wudil, Garko, Warawa, Gezawa and Gabasawa LGAs under its territory.
History has it that in the Sokoto Caliphate, only well learned people in various aspects, including religious knowledge, administration and good character are turbaned as waziri or wali.
Little wonder, his family are the ones still holding the waziri title in Dutse Emirate of Jigawa State, as well as ruling some parts of Katagum Emirate in Bauchi State due to their vast knowledge and experience.
Alhaji will be the third person to hold the title from the Malam Dalhatu family.
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