Shehu Malami: Exit of a quintessential Sokoto prince

The whole of Sokoto State has been thrown into mourning following the death of Shehu Othman Malami, popularly called the Sarkin Sudan and quintessential prince of the Sokoto Caliphate. 

Malami, 85, died at an Egyptian hospital on Monday where he was receiving treatment after being flown from Nigeria last Friday. 

The cause of his death could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report but he was said to have been battling ill health for quite some time. 

Malami was a forebear of the great Islamic reformer and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sheikh Usman bin Fodiyo popularly referred to as Shehu Danfodiyo. He belonged to the Sultan Bello ruling house. 

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Shehu Othman Malami, who was also addressed as “the Oxford Man”, was born in Sokoto in 1937 and had his early education there before proceeding to Bida and Katsina for his basic education. 

He also attended various colleges in the United Kingdom for both his Ordinary and Advanced level GCE. He later bagged a degree in law from the Middle Temple, London and was a visiting scholar at Wolfecon College Cambridge. He was also an Associate Member of St Anthony’s College, Oxford University. 

He also had a stint at the BBC as a broadcaster, before moving on to greater heights becoming a technocrat and banker. 

On the international scene, his presence was felt as a member of the International Advisory Council of the World Economic Forum Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland. 

He also served as Nigeria’s first High Commissioner to South Africa after the country’s return to majority rule in 1994. 

Malami was appointed the District Head of Wurno with the traditional title of Sarkin Sudan Wurno in 1974 by Sultan Abubakar III and in 1988, he was transferred to Dange as Bauran Dange by Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, a positioned he turned down and resigned. 

According to Turakin Wurno, Muhammad Bashir Daudu, Malami while holding the tile of Sarkin Sudan Wurno, had influenced the establishment of Zonal Heath Project and the Zonal Agriculture Development Programme offices in Wurno. 

“He also influenced the establishment of Primary Health Centre in Wurno which was later upgraded to a General Hospital. 

“He was also instrumental to the connectivity of Wurno to the national grid and ensuring that the local government headquarters was brought to Wurno town,” he said 

Speaking on his transfer to Dange at the instance of Sultan Dasuki, Muhammadu Bashir said decision didn’t go down well with the people of the area only that they could not change it. 

“We will continue to miss him and pray to Allah to grant him a highest place in paradise,” he said 

A former Public Relations Officer to Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, Malam Abubakar Umar, said the deceased stood for the active participation of the traditional institution in administering public affairs in Nigeria.  

“He made this point very clear way back in 1978 during the lecture at the then Army Command and Staff College, Jaji, where he advised against this country allowing the developmental value of the institution to fritter away on the altar of modernity. This country is only coming to terms with this position 44 years later.  

“As district head of Wurno, he contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of the district apart from being representative of government and traditional head of his people. He established companies, Zaki Bottling Company and Wurno Burnt Bricks Factory, which  provided direct and indirect empowerment through economic activities and income generation for the people but for a number reasons these companies could not be sustained. 

“He added value to the administration of the Sultanate starting from a fairly young age. He, along with others notably other technocrats, like Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, contributed to the golden reign of Sultan Abubakar III, especially when he was his private secretary. They contributed to confronting the obvious demand of modernity creeping into palace administration. 

“He was not without controversy, one of which was the famous 1986 lecture he delivered at the NYSC orientation camp at Bodinga where he mentioned two ruling houses which had not produced a sultan and were not laying claim to it. There were reactions and the then Sokoto Emirate Council felt he was wrong and was asked to apologise which he did. 

“It was natural that the rivalry among princes, especially from different ruling houses and particularly for this high profiled throne of the Sultanate would create conflict among them because of their aspiration. However, Malami’s absence in Wurno to receive the then newly appointed Sultan Dasuki who was on tour of districts, worsened the conflict between the two.  

Malami was on government approved study leave overseas so was not at Wurno during Dasuki’s official visit, and for that, he was demoted and redeployed to Dange as district head with the traditional title of Sarkin Baura, a position which he declined.  

“That was not the last to be heard of him because he was a strong contestant for the throne when Dasuki was deposed.  Given his string of connections with the  then Head of State, General Sani Abacha,  most fingers were pointing to him as possible successor but the influence and popularity of the then Sarkin Kudu, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido in Sokoto was so overwhelming that the government had to respect popular opinion. 

In his tribute, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described the late Sarkin Sudan as a humble and astute personality. 

He said the late prince would be remembered as a repository of the norms and values that make Sokoto Caliphate tick.  

The governor added that the prince’s knowledge of the country, its politics and economy would also be missed on the national scene, especially at this time of another democratic transition.  

“On behalf of the government and good people of Sokoto State, I join His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in praying for the repose of his soul. 

“May Jannatul Firdaus be his abode. May Allah grant his family and well-wishers the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” Tambuwal said. 

ACF mourns BoT chairman’s death  

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also said it received with shock the death of its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ambassador Shehu Malami, Sarkin Sudan Wurno. 

In a statement, its Secretary General, Murtala Aliyu, said Nigeria would miss Malami’s  “extraordinary leadership skills, his generosity, his sense of justice and fair play. 

“We send our deepest condolences to his family and the nation. It is our prayer that Allah, SWT, forgives his mistakes and grant mercy on his soul.” 

Similarly, the former Managing Director of the National Broadcasting Commission and Kogunan Sokoto,  Dr Nasir Danladi Bako, in his tribute, said  the late Sarkin Sudan taught him how to live in the complex journey of life balancing the societal needs, royal responsibilities and professional obligations.  

“You epitomised diligence, integrity and trustworthiness. 

“You treated me as your son, having been a friend to my late father Mallam Bako. You showed the urbane, sophisticated yet humble side of the Hausa-Fulani to the world. You upgraded perceptions about Sokoto and Nigeria to the world as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa,” Dr Nasir said.