Ibrahim Dasuki (1923 – 2016)

       

He was held in high esteem by his people, even in death 

Ironically, the highest height he attained led to his lowest low. When Ibrahim Dasuki became the 18th Sultan of Sokoto on December 6, 1988, under the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, he set a record as the first Sultan from the Buhari line of the House of Dan Fodio.  When he was dethroned eight years later in 1996 and banished from Sokoto by the military administration of General Sani Abacha, the fall was not reversed before his passing at the age of 92 on November 14 at the Turkish Hospital in Abuja.

Dasuki lived for 20 more years after he was deposed, a period most likely marked by a difficult readjustment to life outside the palace.

However, despite his diminution, which had political undertones, Dasuki’s death was greeted with positive expressions acknowledging a colourful life. In a tribute, President Muhammadu Buhari described him as one of Nigeria’s most powerful voices for peace and unity in diversity. Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal said of him:  ”For the eight years he spent on the throne as Sultan of Sokoto, he gave priority attention to the educational development of our people by promoting adult and women literacy in all parts of Sokoto. He equally paid attention to the revitalisation of religious education, especially among Imams of various mosques in the Caliphate. In addition, he will be remembered for formulating workable framework for the prevention and management of inter-communal clashes in Nigeria. His untiring effort in ending the Tiv, Jukun and Fulani skirmish in Taraba State, particularly, stands out.”

Dasuki played an important role in the development of the country’s local government system, following his appointment as chairman of the Committee for the Review of Local Government Administration in Nigeria in 1984. He was critically engaged in the move to save local governments from being choked by state governments and enable them to stimulate rural development. He also played an influential role as a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly where he was seen as a central articulator of northern interests.

These significant involvements in the political context on the national stage followed several years in business. His path took him to various positions that showed he was well-regarded. He was in 1966 chairman of the Northern Nigeria Produce Marketing Board; director and later chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation from 1967 to 1977; co-founder and chairman of the Nigerian branch of BCCI from 1979 to 1989.

Born in Dogon Daji, Sokoto, Dasuki attended elementary school in his locality before going to Sokoto Middle School in 1935. Sponsored by Sokoto Native Authority, he completed his secondary education at Barewa College in 1943, after which he was employed as a clerk in the treasury office of the Native Authority. Two years later, he was employed by Gaskiya Corporation, publisher of the Hausa daily Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo.

It was a turning-point when Dasuki joined the regional civil service as an executive officer in 1953, in response to a call by Ahmadu Bello, the political giant, for participation in government by Northerners.  He became private secretary to Ahmadu Bello a year later. By 1957, he had become deputy secretary of the regional executive council. After a stint at the Nigerian embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, in the early 1960s, Dasuki became a permanent secretary in the regional Ministry of Local Government, and later held the same position in the Ministry of Commerce.

Dasuki was relevant as a blue-blooded senior citizen who had contributed to the country’s development at pivotal stages in its evolution. It is a measure of his stature that he did not lose the vital connection with the country despite the vicissitudes of his life.