Photos Reveal Why Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar Of Sokoto Misses Late Olubadan, ‘Consummate People Manager’
The Oasis Reporters
February 2, 2022
As a foremost traditional ruler in Northern Nigeria, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has never minced words in bemoaning the “killing fields” that the north has become.
Not only are the northerners displacing, kidnapping and killing each other with morbid propensity on religious and ethnic grounds, many of it’s bandits have found their way to the south, carrying out what they do best to the chagrin of south’s peace loving and easy going people.
Herdsmen militia have been disrupting food production as cattle rearers insist on the rights of their animals to graze. Sometimes and unfortunately, crop farmers have lost their means of livelihood while many have been killed. Revenge attacks have become the outcome of the deadly clashes and the hate has continued to build up.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, faces keep on getting longer. Even when it was mildly bad, Sultan of Sokoto used to relish his visits to the ancient city of Ibadan in performance of his duties as Chancellor of University of Ibadan, one of only two Nigerian Universities in global 1,000 rankings of world class citadels of learning. The second one is the privately owned Covenant University belonging to Winners Chapel in Sango Ota, Ogun State.
It was a swell time when the Sultan took leave off his dusty and dry city of Sokoto, North West Nigeria to preside over the 70th Foundation Day and graduation ceremonies in 2018 at the University of Ibadan, South West Nigeria.
Then immediate past governor of Oyo state, Chief Abiola Ajimobi was in attendance and the mingle was sweet. The mix was convivial and even General Yakubu Gowon was there.
By 2021, the security situation in the South West as well as the entire country, especially the north had reached amazing proportions and the governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari forthrightly told an angry nation that almost 90 percent of the perpetrators of the security challenges in the country were Fulani people like himself. He was unhappy about it.
Sultan of Sokoto is the leader and spiritual leader of the Fulani in West Africa. He too is very unhappy over what some of his compatriots had gotten the name of their tribe into.
Between 2018 and 2021, a new government had been installed in Ibadan and the entire South West had inaugurated their own internal security outfit called Amotekun to fight banditry and other security challenges.
When the Sultan visited again in 2021, the current governor simply sent a lower ranking deputy Chief of Staff to go and receive the Sultan at the Airport. Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde made himself more available for an Amotekun event somewhere else in Ibadan.
representative, Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon Mojeed Mogbojubola (middle) to welcome Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (left) at Ibadan Airport, while Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof Kayode Adebowale looked on during the Sultan’s visit to Oyo State. The governor was busy at an Amotekun event. PHOTO: Oyo State Govt.
For the purposes of courtesy calls, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale narrates in mourning Olubadan that his “ last engagement with Oba Adetunji was on 16 November, 2021, when he received our Chancellor and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, on a courtesy call, in his Popoyemoja Palace. Kabiyesi demonstrated that he was UI’s father and Chief Landlord. UI was, indeed, honoured and celebrated on that memorable visit.”
Sultan Abubakar would certainly miss the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Oguguniso 1, who on January 2, 2022, passed on at the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan at 1.15 am.
The Vice Chancellor described Oba Adetunji as a pillar of support to the University, who indeed, never missed an opportunity to offer wise counsel and words of support for the progress of the institution”.
“I must say, Kabiyesi Adetunji lived humbly; served humbly; came loving; lived loving; and served loving.
“Oba Adetunji knew how to serve God; how to serve humanity; how to lead humanity: how to serve others; how to lead others; how to assist others; how to develop others and how to mentor others. He had the true formula of how to lead the community and society. He was a leader of leaders.
For Prof. Adebowale, “Our consolation lies in the great deeds of the late Olubadan which are engraved unforgettably in the hearts of women and men. Such deeds, which knew no ethnic or religious boundaries, bear clear testimony to the late Olubadan’s triumph over death.
The VC also noted that Oba Adetunji was an enthusiastic investor and consummate people manager who contributed immensely to the success of many Nigerians”.
Sultan would miss the “consummate people manager”.
