Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila


Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila was a Nigerian administrator, politician, entrepreneur, lecturer, farmer and teacher.

Early life

He was born at Mandawari Kofar Kudu Sumaila, his father a cognate of the royal Jobawa Fulani clan was called Sheikh Aliyu-Talle Sumaila a sugarcane merchant and a farmer from Kofar Fada Sumaila. His father a descendant of nobility and royalty belonged to the Fulani tribe in both the Patrilineality and Matrilineality sides with the Kano Emirate appointing the paternal side as Imams of the Unguwar Malamai Mosque and Deputy Chief Imams of the Central Mosque at Kadawa town, Jumar Galadima Ward, Warawa local government and the maternal side as District Heads and Village Heads at Wudil, Garko and Sumaila Local Governments. His mother was called Hajiya Amina ibna Idris ibn Ali Kofar Yamma Sumaila, Abdullahi Sumaila's laqab name is Dattijo, a fulani name derived from ndottiijo meaning an older, respected person or gentleman to show respect to the name Abdullahi because he was named after his paternal great grand uncle called Abdullahi Mai Kili Wudil. His paternal grandparents were a Fulani Allamah and Mufti called Shaykh al-Islam Abdurrahim Gidan Malamai Kadawa, and Maryam jikar Dansumaila, his paternal Great-grandparents were Muhammadu Inuwa Chango of Warawa and Binta the daughter of Dansumaila Akilu the Village head of Sumaila, his paternal Great-great grand parents were Dansumaila Akilu the Village Head of Sumaila and Dansumaila Akilu's wife called Hauwau who hailed from Lamire at Garko Local Government. Dansumaila Akilu was the son of Makaman Kano Iliyasu and Makaman Kano Iliyasu was a descendant of Makaman Kano Isa na daya District Head of Wudil, Makaman Kano Isa na daya was the son of Mallam Saidu from Utai Town at Wudil Local Government.
He was enrolled at Quranic School and memorised the Quran and became a Hafiz, he also mastered other books on Islamic jurisprudence, he attended Sumaila Junior Primary School from 1956-1959 and Sumaila Senior Primary School from 1960-1962 he was in the same class with Bashir Dalhatu .He passed entrance examinations into Nigerian Military School Zaria and Wudil Teachers College, his mother refused him permission to join the Military School and preferred the Teachers College, other students who were successful that year at the Military School examination included Major General Idris Garba former Governor of Kano State, he became a Certified teacher, having attended Wudil Teachers College from 1963-1967, a Teacher training college and earned the Higher Elementary Grade II Teachers Certificate in 1967. He was in the same class with Farouk Iya Sambo former Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Legal Adviser, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and former Board member of Niger Delta Development Commission. He attended Advanced Teachers College Kano/ ABU Zaria now Federal College of Education Kano from 1968-1970 to earn a Nigeria Certificate in Education but left in his second year to undergo University Education at Ahmadu Bello University from 1970-1974. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Faculty of Arts and Social science, Department of Government with a Bachelor's degree Social science in Government in 1974, he was in the same graduating year with former Governor of Plateau State Fidelis Tapgun, and Abubakar Mustapha mni, MFR, former National Organising Secretary of the People's Democratic Party, he underwent Postgraduate education and enrolled in a Master's degree of Political science from 1976-1977. He got a scholarship from Kano State Government to study PhD Political Science in 1979 at Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois but the incoming Administration of Abubakar Rimi convinced him not to proceed. In 1999, he enrolled for a PhD through Distance Learning at Barrington University he is a Fellow of the National Association of Kano State Students and has a Security Professional certification from a Security Course he attended for Administrative Officers heading Security and Executive Council Affairs of State Governments in Nigeria which the Kano State Government sponsored him to attend during the administration of Colonel Sani Bello at Lagos State. He married Hajiya Saude Abdullahi - Aliyu in 1973, presently a retired Federal Director of the Federal Ministry of Education appointed by the Federal Civil Service Commission whose father Abdullahi Maikano Sarkinfulani was a Fulani Village head at Wudil, her grand father Shaykh al Islam Mahmoud was an Allamah and her great-grandfather Dawaki Bello was the village head of Wudil, a fulani from the Torankawa clan, the clan that leads the Sokoto Caliphate holding the title of Sultan of Sokoto and Amir al-Mu'minin, of the Fulani Empire, while her mother Hajiya Rabi was a grand daughter of a Qadi at Gano in Dawakin Kudu Local government.

Career

He did his teaching practice and taught primary school pupils in 1965 and 1966 at Wudil Primary School. In 1967, he became an Assistant Headmaster and taught Mathematics at Tsangaya Primary school Albasu Local government under the Kano Local Education Authority. His Students included Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, He served the National Youth Service Corps as a teacher of Government, History, English and English Literature at Etuno Grammar School, Igarra Midwestern State from 1/8/1974-31/7/1975 where he earned a commendation and merit award for good service to the school and community. He was an Assistant Secretary at Kano State Cabinet Office under the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Assistant Secretary Kano State Ministry of Home Affairs and Information, graduate assistant, Faculty of Arts and Social Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Secretary to the Kano State Executive Council, Principal Secretary to the Kano State Governor, Permanent secretary Kano State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, Permanent secretary Kano State Civil service commission, he was one of the first administrators to inherit the post first republican administrative structure instituted by the military, Chairman, Hadejia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority one of the River Basin Authorities in Nigeria, Chairman Kano State Television Corporation, Secretary Kano State Government Committee on the implementation of the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree, Patron National Youth Council of Nigeria Kano State, Member Turaki Committee chaired by Shehu Shagari GCFR Turakin Sokoto former Executive President, Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Second Nigerian Republic, and other various positions, many of his administrative reforms where integrated into the bureaucracy of the Nigerian federation.
Politically mentored by Aminu Kano, Abubakar Rimi and Shehu Musa Yar'adua. He was a political mentor of many politicians including Rabiu Kwankwaso and Kawu Sumaila whom he endorsed and sponsored for the Chairman seat of Sumaila Local Government in the local government elections held on March 15, 1997 on the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party but Kawu Sumaila lost to the candidate of Magaji Abdullahi, Hon. Musa Inuwa Gala of the National Center Party of Nigeria, in the Kano State House of Assembly elections of the Peoples Democratic Party in 1999, Kawu was sponsored and endorsed again by Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila but the ticket of the party was given to Hon. Shehu Musa Usman, Abdullahi Sumaila was a member of the Northern Elements Progressive Union, People's Redemption Party, Nigerian People's Party, People's Front of Nigeria, Social Democratic Party, People's Democratic Movement, People's Consensus Party, United Nigeria Congress,United Nigeria Congress Party and People's Democratic Party.
He was the Leader of the Student Wing of the Northern Elements Progressive Union Sumaila District in the First Nigerian Republic, Secretary General Kano State Directorate of the People's Redemption Party, Michael Imoudu political faction in the Second Nigerian Republic and the Kano State Vice Chairman of the SDP in the Third Nigerian Republic.
He was campaign manager of Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi Gubernatorial candidate of the Nigerian People's Party, 1983 elections, Political Secretary of Ahmadu Rufa'i Kano State Gubernatorial Candidate under the SDP in the Third Nigerian Republic, National Delegate representing Sumaila People's Front National Convention June 1989, Leader Peoples Front of Nigeria PF Sumaila Local Government, Chairman Merger Committee of Magaji Abdullahi and Ahmadu Rufa'i Gubnetorial Aspirants of the SDP Kano State, Director of Campaign North West with headquarters at Kaduna State of Major General Shehu Musa Yar'adua Presidential Candidate SDP -1992, Delegate to the Tarauni Ward Kano Municipal Local Government Area of the SDP under the Open ballot system 6 February 1993, Leader United Nigeria Congress Sumaila Local Government, Member National Contact and Mobilization Committee United Nigeria Congress Party, Member Kano State Caucus UNCP, Leader UNCP Sumaila Local Government, Member Kano State Caretaker Committee UNCP-1997, Leader People's Democratic Movement PDM Sumaila Local Government, Leader Peoples Consensus Party Sumaila Local Government, Member Kano State Elders Committee PDP, Member PDP Kano State Gubernatorial and House of Assembly Screening and Conduct of Primaries Electoral Committee 1999.Director General Campaign of Hon.Nura Mohammed Dankadai Kano South Senatorial Campaign Team under the PDP -2002. Delegate PDP Kano State Gubernatorial Primary Election December 2002, Leader PDP Sumaila Local Government 1998-2003, Chairman Elders Committee PDP Sumaila Local Government 1998-2003.
He was also Chairman KADFRU, Chairman Sauda Voyager Nigeria Limited, Chairman Ramy Palace Nigeria Limited, Chairman Pathfinder Consultancy Services, Chairman Aurum Nigeria Limited,Chairman Precise Oil Resources, Chairman Saymar Bread,General Manager/ Board Director at Arewa Steel Works. He also served as a Director in the Boards of Hayder Trading and Manufacturing Company Nigeria Limited, Katday Modern Furnitures Company Nigeria Limited, Dayekh Tiles Nigeria Limited, Rima Farms, Dayekh Ali Nigeria Limited and United Confectionery Nigeria Limited ,
He was a Member of the Boy Scouts Association of Nigeria, Secretary Muslim Students Society of Nigeria Advanced Teachers College Kano, National Secretary-General Kano Students Association, Treasurer Third World Association Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Treasurer Dr.Bala Mohammed Memorial Committee, Chairman Kano State Hockey Association, Chairman Kano State Government Anti-Apartheid Committee, Secretary Kano State Government General Murtala Mohammed former Head of State Memorial Committee, Member Kano State Government Sports Revival Committee, Member Steering Committee and Chairman Finance Committee Kano State Foundation Wudil Local Government Chapter, Member Blood Transfusion Service, Official Executive Member Kano Capital School Parents Teachers Association, Patron Sumaila Students Association, Executive Official Member St. Thomas Secondary School Parents Teachers Association, National Financial Secretary Wudil Teachers College Old Students Association, Member Kano State Government Nigeria Constitution Coordinating Committee, Member Kano State Government Transition Main Committee.
He was Member Federal Government College Kano Parents Teachers Association, Member Federal Government College Staff School Parents Teachers Association, Member Crescent International School Parents Teachers Association, Member Samadi International School Parents Teachers Association.