Sarkin Gobir of Ilorin: The Death Of An Apostle Of Simplicity

Sarkin Gobir of Ilorin: The Death Of An Apostle Of Simplicity

By Abubakar Imam

Over the weekend, Ilorin, “the renowned sanctuary of saints, scholars and soldiers” was thrown into deep mourning. This was due to the losses of two of its prominent sons, among others, in quick succession. By the date of death, the first was Alhaji Suleiman Kayode Yusuf, famously known as Maja, who was a notable politician; while the second person was an apolitical statesman and Sarkin Gobir of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad Yusuf-Gobir. 

Alhaji Maja died on Friday in Ilorin while Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir died on Saturday in a far away city of Kano. The late Sarkin Gobir, who was a trained pilot and successful flight captain, was said to have died after a brief illness.

The remains of the late traditional leader, who was also the Chairman of the Governing Council of the International Aviation College, Ilorin, was committed to mother earth and in the presence of several dignitaries from far and near on Sunday, October 13, 2024. He was 62.

His burial, which took place at his ancestral home in the city of Ilorin, was a solemn event. The simple funeral ceremony, which was conducted in accordance to Muslim rites and led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Saliu, OON, effectively marked the beginning of his transition to the great beyond and departure from the land of the living.

The death of the Sarkin Gobir marks the end of an era and the beginning of another phase in the annals of the dynasty. He was the 9th holder of the hereditary chieftaincy title.

Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir was not unknown to yours sincerely. I had the privilege of working closely with him on a number of occasions. We also shared mutual admiration.

He was one of the greatest admirers of my efforts. He called and messaged me a number of times to convey his personal gratitude to me for always devoting my time and energy to the services of our community. I remain eternally grateful to him for the relentless encouragement I received from him.

My interaction with him started in March, 2020 following the spread of the dreaded global pandemic, COVID-19, to Nigeria and the consequent establishment of the rested Ilorin Emirate Palliative Fund (IEPF). The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, had constituted the IEPF with the energetic Danmasani of Ilorin, Engr Sulaiman Oba Yahaya Alapansanpa, FNSE, as the Chairman to oversee the management of the fund while the then National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, fsi, was the Co-Chairman. Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir was the Chairman of its Technical Sub-Group. The IEPF was established to raise and organise various forms of assistance to the less privileged people across the five Local Government Areas constituting the Ilorin Emirate whose predicaments were worsened by the pandemic, which prevented them from earning their livelihood.

In fact, Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir hosted the inaugural meeting of the Fund Management Team in his official courtyard within the Sarkin Gobir’s Compound in the city of Ilorin. As the then National Publicity Secretary of the IEDPU, I served and headed its Publicity Sub-Group.

While the Chairman gave directives from Abuja, the Co-Chairman was coordinating the homefront. The Co-Chairman would not grant any approval of expenditure without the recommendation and signature of Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir. The deceased would have ensured proper scrutiny of every claim to the best of his ability before appending his signature.

I also worked with him on the Ilorin Emirate Durbar Committee since I became a Member in 2020. He was a prominent member of the Committee under the Chairmanship of the same Danmasani of Ilorin. The late Sarkin Gobir, who also chaired the Durbar Technical Sub-Committee, which handles the real aspect of the festival (mobilisation and use of horses) never disappointed in the responsibility assigned to him.

Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir was a thorough, honest, intelligent and humble personality. His contributions to meetings and other activities of each of the Committees were always well informed, exciting and constructive.

I sincerely believe that in his death, Ilorin has lost a selfless son and a fine gentleman. We have equally lost an outstanding statesman and a forthright traditional leader.

The late Sarkin Gobir, who was born in 1962, was, by every standard, a great man. Though by my evaluation, he was not rich in monetary terms, his contentment was of high class. This made him “far richer”,in reality, than many who had billions in their accounts.

Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir was the eldest son of a late outstanding technocrat, uncommon patriot and “super” Permanent Secretary in the federal civil service, Alhaji Yusuf Amuda Gobir, OFR; who lived between October 2, 1934 and December 28, 1975. His father was the very first Ilorin indigene who had the privilege of attaining the enviable rank of Permanent Secretary and the youngest ever in the annals of the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State and, possibly, Nigeria. He became a Permanent Secretary in 1962 at the incredible age of 28 and, according to Alhaji Saka Alesinloye in his work, “Serving The Nation”, he almost made it to the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, as it was then known, in 1972, following the death of Alhaji AbdulAzeez Atta (1920-1972).

The father of the late Sarkin Gobir was also one of the founding fathers of the famous Arewa House, Kaduna. The House is the centre for research and historical documentation of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. It was established in 1970 with the late Prof. Abdullahi Smith as its founding Director.

Just like his paternal side, his maternal side is also full of greatness. Hajiya Ladi Yusuf Gobir was his mother. She was a younger relation of the nation’s longest serving Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR.

His mother was also one of the founding members and leaders of the Jamiyyar Matan Arewa (Northern Women Association). She was, in fact, the pioneer Assistant Social Secretary of the Association.

The late Sarkin Gobir was also a nephew to another distinguished federal Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Abubakar Garba Gobir, who died on November 11, 1996 at the age of 62. Ambassador Gobir was born on June 16, 1934. His father and uncle were the first and third federal Permanent Secretaries produced by the Ilorin Emirate, respectively. The second federal Permanent Secretary produced by the southernmost Emirate was Alhaji Abdulkadir Oba (Oba Agbaji), OON, who lived from March 4, 1929 to December 3, 1995.

His uncle, Ambassador Gobir, who prior to his appointment as a Permanent Secretary, served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to several countries. He was the father of the enigmatic Madawaki of Ilorin and Waziri Kasar Hausa, Alhaji Yakubu Garba Gobir. Another senior uncle of the late Sarkin Gobir, Alhaji Yakubu Amori Gobir, was also a Permanent Secretary. He was a member of the pioneer set of Permanent Secretaries in Kwara State and one of those who built the “State of Harmony” from the scratch. Prior to the creation of Kwara State, Alhaji Amori Gobir, popularly called Y.A by his friends and contemporaries, who was the eldest of the three Gobir brothers that attained the enviable rank of Permanent Secretary, was the Secretary to the Public Service Commission of the defunct Northern Region. He died at the age of 81 as he lived between 1931 and April 23, 2012.

The grandfather of the deceased and father of the three Permanent Secretaries of blessed memory was Mallam Muhammadu Ajeigbe Gobir. His grandfather, who was one of the first two sons of Ilorin who had the privilege of receiving secondary school education, held the hereditary title of Sarkin Gobir of Ilorin in addition to being the first Waziri of the southernmost Emirate. The pioneer Waziri of Ilorin, who lived from 1900 to 1960, also embraced history as a member of the first set of students who attended and graduated from the famous Barewa College, Zaria, which was then known as Katsina College. The College was founded in 1921, the very year the great Mallam Gobir was admitted into it, with Admission Number 23.

One other very prominent member of the family was Alhaji Amuda Ahmadu Gobir (1930-1980). This personality, who was known as Amuda Agba among his contemporaries, was a cousin to the father of the late Sarkin Gobir. He was a teacher and technocrat and father of the current President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPMN), Alhaji Ahmed Ladan Gobir; and pioneer Provost, College of Medicine, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Prof. Aishatu Ahmed Gobir.

The late Sarkin Gobir was happily married. He was survived by three wives and nine children.

It is, therefore, hugely fascinating and remarkable that despite his illustrious background and colourful pedigree as well as glittering personal qualities as shown in preceding paragraphs, the late Sarkin Gobir lived a very simple life that was devoid of any form of extravagance, or what is called “gragra” in local parlance.

The late Sarkin Gobir never looked down on anyone. He regarded and related with everybody as his brother and friend. Until his death, I never knew that he was a childhood friend of the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON. Similarly, not many knew that he had friends in high places, some of whom flew to Ilorin from several places to bid him farewell.

The deceased, for emphasis, was an embodiment of simplicity. He also lived a life that was dedicated to the services of his community and humanity. I also knew him to be a deeply religious person.

The impact of his life is shown in the magnitude and quality of tributes poured on him since his death was announced. One thing that is common in the many tributes paid to him was his unassuming dispositions. I believe that he would be sorely missed by all and sundry.

I sympathise with His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq. I also commiserate with the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari ,CFR, on the death of this uncommon patriot. My sympathy similarly goes to the entire members of the illustrious Gobir dynasty of Ilorin over this great loss of the traditional head of their family.

May Allah forgive the shortcomings of Alhaji Yusuf-Gobir. I also pray that Allah should favour his gentle soul with admission into Aljanat Fridaouz. May He also comfort his immediate and extended families as well as his friends and colleagues and the generality of the good people of Ilorin Emirate. Amin.

Imam is National Secretary, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.