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Yusuf Lawal @60 : A Relentless Patriot By Abubakar Imam
Some people can solely be celebrated as soon as of their lifetimes. They’re these that may be described as “rave of the second”. It’s because earlier than the following harvest they’d have fumbled and upset observers and even disappeared from the scene. Some others don’t deserve been honoured in any respect. They’re termed quislings or rogues. Whereas a couple of usually deserve perpetual celebrations. Those that fall into the final class are those that earned the real love of their compatriots. They’re merely known as patriots. It’s because their impacts will not be solely optimistic but additionally enduring and “common”. These are people who neither take into consideration themselves alone, nor the following election, however they slightly dedicate their time, vitality, mind and hard-earned assets in direction of their issues for what the incoming generations of the group would “come to turn into”.
Each group, regardless of its location and stage of sophistication, has every of these people recognized above. Ilorin Emirate is,subsequently, not an exception. A kind of that may be termed as heroes and patriots of our group is the topic of this piece.
It’s due to people like him that I usually increase my voice and put my pen on paper to say one thing as a approach of affirming that Ilorin Emirate will not be a constituency with out patriots and heroes. Sure, our group doesn’t lack actual patriots as conditions often convey forth new faces who would keep on the duties of defending and advancing our pursuits. Therefore,no decade passes within the eventful annals of Ilorin with out the emergence of a “champion of the folks”.This assertion is firmly etched within the collective reminiscence of the folks and buddies of the southernmost Emirate previous to and for the reason that nation’s independence when each section of the nation’s march to progress usually recorded the participation of a number of indigenes of Ilorin within the mission. Many a person and lady of imaginative and prescient have performed actually excellent roles of their attempt to make sure that the group emerge in direction of being the most effective it could possibly be.
Among the many “ageing technology” of the “Ilorin Greats”,which is graced with people who find themselves variously however steadily climbing the ladder of statesmanship of their distinctive methods is the character of Dr Yusuf Bolakale Lawal, whose identify can’t however be talked about within the gentle of glory. Whereas the topic of this piece is neither a politician nor a “socialite” , his identify has not solely been ringing bell constantly within the ears of his compatriots and their buddies however has additionally been intently related to the “Ilorin Venture” within the final three many years.
Those that know his antecedents wouldn’t be shocked with the trail he has taken. That is due to the truism behind the favored Yoruba saying that “Omo kii ba ipele Iya re ni’le ki o si aso da”(a baby usually takes after his mother and father). This birthday boy is just persevering with with the trail taken by his illustrious father who was a significant determine within the “Ao Lo West wrestle” of the folks of Ilorin Emirate, which peaked in 1958 on the Willink’s Fee and his subsequent providers because the Nationwide Publicity Secretary of the then Ilorin Divisional Progressive Union(now Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union) from the late Sixties to 1972,amongst different alluring group improvement initiatives he shouldered.
I have to say that Dr Lawal is a chip of the outdated block. He not solely seems like his dad within the realms of facial resemblance, peak and mind however he has additionally taken after the patriotism of the late elder statesman.
Nonetheless, lengthy earlier than I got here throughout Yusuf,I had recognized his father very nicely. His late father would by no means drive by way of both Ubandawaki or Sooto Streets within the Pakata space of Ilorin, the place my ancestral house is located, with out saying hi there to my dad who was at all times stress-free in his roadside “fada”, throughout his lifetime. In the future, I voiced my curiosity and requested my outdated man,late Mallam Jimoh Pakata(1931-2012), “who the person was”. He responded that he was Alhaji Sani Adebayo Lawal. He went additional to say that the person was his senior by two years on the outdated Ilorin Center Faculty, Ilorin, which is now often called Authorities Secondary Faculty. Whereas mentioning another contemporaries of theirs on the premier faculty,my dad added that the older Lawal was known as Sani Oke-Aluko throughout their faculty days and later as “Akowe Oba”.
Dr Lawal’s youthful brother, Hassan Lawal,can be well-known to me. We had been contemporaries on the Ahmadu Bello College, Zaria. Whereas he studied Geography, I obtained my very own diploma in Mass Communication. We additionally concurrently served on the Govt Committee of the ABU,Zaria Most important Campus’s chapter of the Ilorin Emirate College students Union. He was elected because the Social Secretary whereas I held the place of Public Relations Officer between 1993 and 1994 beneath the presidency of the not too long ago deceased Alhaji Tunde Olowo,who served as a Supervisory Councillor within the Ilorin South Native Authorities Council.
Dr Lawal has an area in my thoughts. The great impression he created in me is knowledgeable by his constant curiosity in my pastime: celebration of every thing and all people that has to do with Ilorin Emirate. Every time I dedicated an error within the course doing so,Dr Lawal would name to attract my consideration to such error. He wouldn’t cease at that, however he will even give me verifiable cases and sources in addition to the names and telephone numbers of these I may contact for extra clarifications or affirmation on a given situation. He’s not the kind that might permit anybody to proceed the pointless commercial of ignorance of what he(Lawal) knew. There was a specific piece I did on the late Honourable Justice Saka Yusuf,OFR(1933-2018) in 2019,which compelled him to ask whether or not I knew or have met Alhaji Safii Adebayo Usuf Olodo(1929-2021).Once I responded within the affirmative , he requested if I might not thoughts that he converge the three of us(himself, Alhaji Olodo and yours sincerely) on a convention name for deeper interactions on the subject-matter and associated points. He did and succeeded in reconnecting me with the late elder statesman and the connection by no means ended till Alhaji Olodo handed on.
There was additionally one other day when he known as on telephone to lecture me on many points together with on members within the “Ilorin Venture”. We spoke for near an hour. Whereas I grew to become drained in the course of the dialog, the person saved on allotting extra info and figures. Not being knowledgeable instructor, he didn’t thoughts whether or not I used to be assimilating the knowledge or not. When he ultimately allowed me to be,my spouse requested who “the lengthy early morning caller” was. On my disclosure of Dr Lawal’s identification, she retorted “Hummmm! Good of you. You’ve met greater than your match in him”.
That day I needed to settle for the place of the illustrious Shaykh Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory(1917-1992),when he stated that a lot of those that discuss and write much less are generally extra knowledgeable than their colleagues who restlessly do the 2. I sincerely consider that Dr Lawal is an untapped useful resource and a blessing to Ilorin in some ways.
I have to placed on document that my determination to publish my forthcoming e book entitled “Ilorin Emirate’s Frontliners”,was partly knowledgeable and inspired by Dr Lawal’s constant encouragement and ceaseless help. In direction of the realisation of the mission, he took the ache of linking me up with a lot of these lined within the e book as he has additionally been working with me behind the scene in direction of the success of the general public presentation of the work,which is scheduled to carry quickly in Ilorin.
Dr Yusuf Bolakale Lawal,fsi,FNIM, a political scientist, consummate administrator, acclaimed public examination technocrat,college administrator and foremost group chief,was born in Ilorin on Tuesday, April 23,1963 on the then Ilorin Maternity Hospital, Amilegbe. His father was a distinguished politician, in style public mental,foremost palace technocrat and famend group chief, the late Alhaji Sani Adebayo Lawal,who lived between 1933 and 2011.The ancestral house of this birthday boy is Majidadi/Olopa Compound within the Oja-Iya Quarters,Ilorin. Dr Lawal’s mom was the late Hajiya Khadija Kubura Lawal,the youthful and solely sister of the primary lawyer from Northern Nigeria, the late Alhaji Abdulganiyu Folorunsho Abdulrazaq SAN,OFR(1927-2020),who was additionally the Mutawali of Ilorin and Tafida of Zazzau. Yusuf is the primary born of the blessed marriage.
Like most different compatriots of his, younger Yusuf learnt the Holy Quran as a kindergarten pupil from conventional Quranic faculties in his paternal Oja-Iya neighborhood and in addition at Ita Elefun in Alanamu ward, as he lived his youthful years together with his maternal grandmother, Alhaja Muniratu Ashabi Karatu at Ile Karatu close to Ita Elefun,Ilorin. It was from these two Quranic faculties that he acquired the humanities and science of the studying of the Holy Quran and was additionally uncovered to the rudimentary information of the faith of Islam.
As he was studying the Holy Quran, this illustrious son of Ilorin Emirate was enrolled as a pupil, first ,at Supreme Nursery Faculty on Oyo Bye-Move (now Ibrahim Taiwo Street), Ilorin, and subsequently at Adeola Mannequin Faculty,Offa, and in addition on the Bishop Smith Memorial Demonstration Faculty, Ilorin. His contemporaries on the nursery and first faculty stage had been his cousins,Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq(b. 1960),the incumbent Governor of Kwara State; and Mallam Isiaka AbdulRazaq, the previous Chief Monetary Officer on the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Company. Different mates of his on the main faculty stage had been two youngsters of the ninth Emir of Ilorin, Wuraola and Segilola Sulu Gambari, after which Miss Haleema Giwa (now Honourable Justice Haleema Saleeman) in addition to Alhaji Layi Maliki, Lawunmi Maliki, Monsura and Bolanle Jaji and plenty of different youngsters of distinguished indigenes and residents of the Emirate. At Bishop Smith Memorial Demonstration Faculty, Yusuf was a classmate of Folashade Mejabi now Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, who’s the incumbent Head of Service of the Federation. It was from that Christian Mission Faculty that Yusuf obtained his First Faculty Leaving Certificates in 1974.
Dr Lawal proceeded to the premier secondary faculty in Kwara State,the Authorities Secondary Faculty, Ilorin, in 1974 and completed in 1979 together with his West African Faculty Certificates. Yusuf’s contemporaries on the faculty included His cousin,Alhaji AbdulRahman Giwa(b.1963),Mallam Ahmed Bolaji Nagode(b.1962),the Director-Normal,Nationwide Energy Coaching Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN); Alhaji Abubakar Olarongbe Idiaro and my very own brother, Mallam Isiaka Yusuf,amongst others.
For his first diploma programme,this distinguished scholar was admitted into the College of Maiduguri,Borno State, in 1981 the place he studied Political Science and Administration. He graduated with the most effective leads to his Division on the premier College within the North-Jap a part of Nigeria with a Second Class (Higher Division) in 1985. He wrote the valedictory speech on behalf of his fellow graduating college students. Whereas in Maiduguri, he was beneath the guardianship of the Honourable Justice Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari of the Borno State Excessive Courtroom. His guardian is now His Royal Highness, the eleventh Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Emirs and Obas in addition to the Chancellor of the Federal College of Agriculture, Makurdi, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari,CFR. Yusuf’s contemporaries from Ilorin on the College, which was then headed by Prof. JIbril Aminu,CFR, included late Dr Abdulkadir Babakobi Sulu-Gambari, a youthful brother of the incumbent Emir;late Dr Abdulkadir Okunlola Abdulkadir, son of the incumbent Daudu Ballah,Shaykh Salman Olarongbe Abdulkadir; Alhaji Musa Bolakale Abdulkadir,a son of the fast previous Emir of Ilorin, Shaykh Aliyu Babaagba Abdulkadir(d. 1995); and Alhaji Usman Yinka Aluko,fsi, a retired Deputy Director of the Division of State Companies and first cousin to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr)Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR. Others had been Hon. Justice Mahmud AbdulGafar of the Kwara State Excessive Courtroom,Ilorin; Alhaji Shittu Abdullahi of the Federal Ministry of Data and Tradition.
Not glad with the primary diploma,this glittering role-model returned to the classroom to accumulate extra information to show that although he was not a tutorial, he was greater than ready and nicely outfitted to pursue increased academic {qualifications}. It was the College of Lagos he first went to, the place he bagged his Grasp of Public Administration (MPA) diploma in 1993. Yusuf ultimately capped his illustrious tutorial credentials with a Physician of Philosophy (PhD)diploma in Public Administration and Public Evaluation in 2007 from the College of Abuja. His contemporaries on the College at present headed by our distinguished compatriot,Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah(b. 1962), included Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, former Minister of Nationwide Planning and present Director- Normal, Nationwide Institute for Legislative and Democratic Research;Dr Hajo Sani, Nigeria’s Everlasting Consultant to UNESCO; Dr Abdulganiyu Obatoyinbo, Director-Normal, Public Service Institute of Nigeria; Dr Tonie Iredia, former Director-Normal, Nigerian Tv Authority,amongst a number of others.
This distinguished mental luminary was a a number of award winner;carting 4 completely different awards and certificates on the finish of a yr course for a choose group of navy, safety, intelligence and strategic consultants from Nigeria and different components of the African continent in the course of the EIMC 14 in 2021 on the Nationwide Institute for Safety Research(NISS) the place he was conferred with the distinguished Fellowship of the Institute just like the Nationwide President of the IEDPU,Alhaji Aliyu O.Uthman,fsi,.Dr Yusuf Lawal is the present Nationwide Vice President of the Alumni Affiliation of the Institute.
Dr Lawal commenced his most enjoyable working profession as a Member of the Nationwide Youth Service Corps(NYSC).He provided his obligatory youth service at NYSC State Secretariat in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, between 1985 and 1986 in the midst of which he served because the Corps Liaison Officer for the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
Quickly after his NYSC programme,Dr Lawal declined enlistment within the Nigeria Police Power regardless of being provided the chance on a platter of gold, whereas he would have continued within the custom of his forebears. His nice grand father, Sulu Olopa Majidadi, and his grand father, Muhammad Lawal, had been distinguished policemen of the Colonial Authority.
Moderately, Yusuf joined the providers of the Panat Nigeria Restricted, in Ilorin and moved to Lagos. He was the Administrative Officer of the Firm from 1986 to 1987.After a yr sojourn at his first place of job,Dr Lawal moved to the Apex Enterprise Programs (ABS) Restricted,Lagos. He served within the non-public institution as a Enterprise Govt between 1987 and 1988.
After having a style of what working within the non-public sector was,this excellent patriot joined the federal public service. He was posted to the then Federal Ministry of Finance and Financial Growth the place he served as a Analysis/Statistics Officer II within the Ministry’s Division of Planning, Analysis and Statistics from 1988 to 1989.
In 1989,Dr. Lawal left the mainstream of the federal civil service for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB).He began as an Administrative Officer I within the delicate Check Growth Division the place solely few workers had been privileged to work due to publicity to examination questions. In precisely two years, Dr. Lawal was not solely promoted to the following grade, he was additionally appointed the Private Assistant to the Registrar and Chief Govt of the Board, a place of utmost belief. He was an Assistant Registrar within the Board from 1991 to 1994 and later promoted to the rank of a Senior Assistant Registrar.
Dr Lawal,courtesy of his trade,relentlessness and dedication to his onerous duties, rose by way of the ranks within the providers of JAMB. He grew to become a Chief Administrative Officer in 2000. He was additionally the Deputy Director and Head of Company Companies within the Workplace of the Board’s Registrar from 2004 to 2007.As a Deputy Director, he served because the Head of Workplace,Workplace of the Registrar/Chief Govt of the Board between 2007 and 2012. Dr Lawal served within the Registrar’s Workplace from 1991 to 2012 serving with three substantive Registrars, particularly Dr Mohammed Sakiwa Abdulrahman,OON; Prof. Bello Ahmad Salim, OFR; and Prof. Adedibu Ojerinde, OON; and two Performing Registrars particularly Dr Saleh Abubakar and Dr Peter Odor. Dr Lawal served meritoriously for an unprecedented 21 years within the Registrar’s Workplace.
In July, 2012,this hero of group improvement providers was appointed as an Performing Director of the strategic Check Administration Division of JAMB. He held the place from 2012 to 2013.He assumed the place in substantive functionality in 2013 and served until 2022 when he transferred his providers to the College of Abuja.He’s at present the Director, College Development, College of Abuja the place he’s serving to to draw funds and improvement to the College
It’s important to say that when Dr. Lawal joined the providers of JAMB in 1989, there have been solely two indigenes of Ilorin Emirate working within the Board. One of many two was on “secondment” exterior the Board on the time of his entrance, whereas the opposite individual was an information entry workers. Dr Lawal, subsequently, realised early that there was a necessity for a concerted effort to help fellow indigenes to safe admission, acquire employment within the Board and in addition facilitate contract jobs. With the influential positions he held within the Board, the testimonies and achievements of this group chief communicate quantity. At completely different occasions, 4 indigenes had been Deputy Administrators on the identical time, whereas two indigenes have equally been Administrators the identical time on two events by 2020. Many indigenes of Ilorin have been provided alternatives of employment within the Board. He has additionally facilitated the admission of many his youthful Ilorin compatriots into varied tertiary establishments and in addition assisted many indigenes of Ilorin who’re contractors, particularly printers, to safe contracts.
As a person who was at all times keen to develop himself, Dr Lawal has had the privilege of taking part in no fewer than 30 coaching classes,conferences, seminars and workshops each domestically and at worldwide ranges the world over. To his credit score,he additionally has 22 articles.
In the middle of his stimulating profession in JAMB, Dr Lawal served in varied adhoc obligations. He served because the Chairman of the Organising Committees for the thirtieth (thirtieth) and fortieth(40)anniversary celebrations of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in 2008 and 2018,respectively. He was additionally the Chairman of the Harmonisation of Public Examination Time-Tables Amongst Public Examinations Our bodies in Nigeria in 2017,2018 and 2019.
Dr Lawal,who served because the Chairman of the Committee on the Reconstruction of the JAMB Mosque in Abuja,was additionally a Member of the Committee which efficiently organised the inauguration of the seventh democratically elected Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in 2019.
Regardless of his dedication to his main duties in all of the locations he served, Dr Lawal has at all times created time to serve the folks of Ilorin Emirate in lots of capacities over time. He was a founding member and the primary Secretary Normal of the Third Property,Ilorin Emirate, an influential socio-cultural organisation whose members contains a few of the most distinguished professionals of Ilorin Emirate origin. He served because the organisation’s Vice-Chairman and finally because the President of the revered physique between 2013 and 2017. Dr Lawal was additionally the facilitator of a e book mission on the strides of the Badari Ward of Ilorin, which not solely data the historic background but additionally protect the accomplishments of a few of the most distinguished indigenes of the group in an effort that has since been emulated by a couple of different communities throughout the Ilorin Emirate.
Dr Lawal,an exemplary patriot and good technocrat, was additionally one of many brains behind the extraordinarily profitable Ilorin Emirate Palliative Fund(IEPF),which not solely generated about N60 million Naira, inside a month of its institution, but additionally efficiently distributed foodstuffs to over 15,000 of the poorest of the poor folks and residents of the 5 native authorities areas constituting Ilorin Emirate,particularly; Asa,Ilorin East,Ilorin South,Ilorin West and Moro in the course of the dreaded international Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The roles he performed within the success of the mission through which I used to be additionally concerned deserves being rewarded with an award. Although, he was in Abuja all through the interval, his involvement within the success of the trouble was astonishing as a type of who inspired the initiators to goal increased. He,based on Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, fsi,the Nationwide President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union,had given the projection that the mission was not solely possible but additionally able to producing tens of millions of Naira,which it will definitely did.
Data at my disposal state that Dr Lawal additionally galvanised his fast neighbourhood of Oke Aluko and led others to lift one other spherical of funds in tens of millions of Naira for palliatives for the needy and weak in the course of the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic and 2020 Ramadan quick as he additionally supported the Magajin Gari Constituency initiative on comparable mission to help folks in the course of the pandemic.
He has additionally been drawn into the Ilorin Central Jumaat Committee as a Member. He has been unrelenting in working with the likes of the Danmadani of Ilorin,Alhaji Shehu AbdulGafar,OON; and the Danmasani of Ilorin, Engr Suleiman Ayinde Yahaya Alapansanpa, FNSE,to mobilise the a lot wanted monetary help for the sleek operating of the unifying edifice.
This resourceful son of Ilorin Emirate stays one of the vital admired and revered members of his technology for different a number of interventions in beginning off many youths in entrepreneurship, sports activities improvement and employment alternatives for his youthful compatriots in lots of federal authorities businesses over time. He has continued to singlehandedly sponsor for about 20 years,the annual Sulu Majidadi Cup for youth soccer in Oke Aluko space of Ilorin. He additionally sponsors and helps Squash Racket competitors on the Kwara State Stadium,Ilorin.
Dr Lawal, who’s broadly travelled, has visited over 30 completely different international locations throughout just about all of the continents of the world. He’s fortunately married to Hajia Hassana Modupe, a daughter of late Honourable Justice Saidu Kawu,CON(1928-2013), the pioneer Chief Choose of Kwara State, who can be the primary indigene of Kwara State to sit down on the bench of the Supreme Courtroom of Nigeria,and the second Madawaki of Ilorin. Hassana can be the youthful sister of the fast previous Chief Choose of Kwara State, Honourable Justice Sulyman Durosinloun Kawu,,OFR; and twin sister of Honourable Justice Hussein Toyin Kawu of the Kwara State judiciary. The wedding is blessed with youngsters who’re additionally doing very nicely of their varied careers.
However the truth that Dr Lawal deserves being repeatedly celebrated for his patriotism coupled with the interplay I had together with his youthful brother, I have to say that this explicit piece was impressed by the necessity to inform those that are good that they’re. That is carried out to encourage them to stay excellent and for others to emulate them.
In a nutshell, I wish to say that Dr Lawal has been a blessing to Ilorin Emirate and most particularly to the current technology of our group. From the little I learn about him ,I’m satisfied that he’s a type of the longer term generations of individuals of Ilorin Emirate wouldn’t remorse having as certainly one of their forebears.
Let me,subsequently, on behalf of the Nationwide President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, fsi,and the generality of members of the Union the world-over, sincerely felicitate with Dr Lawal on his diamond birthday. I additionally congratulate him on all he has provided and achieved in his need to depart Ilorin much better than he met it. He has,little question, confirmed his piety by at all times making his providers out there to his group in so some ways and on so many events. And so, he deserves all the great needs which will come his approach on the wonderful commemoration of his “name to earth”.
Whereas I pray Allah to counterpoint him with lengthy life,sound well being and wealth, it’s also my prayer which will my beloved Ilorin Emirate group proceed to be blessed with extra of such excellent and prepared leaders who will at all times encourage greatness within the youthful generations. Aamiin.
Imam is Chief Scribe, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.
