Meet ‘gallant’ Ubandomas of Gombe
Arguably, it would be difficult to find a single family that produced officers in all the branches of the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the para-military agencies, as well as career civil servants, businessmen and politicians.
The family of late Ubandoman Gombe, Alhaji Mu’azu Halilu (MON), (who lived between 1900 and 1977 in Gombe, the present capital of Gombe State) falls into this category. It produced two Air Force officers, two Army officers, a Police commissioner, Comptroller of Customs, an Immigration officer, a pharmacist, engineers, career civil servants, politicians, a presidential liaison officer in the second republic, as well as the chairman of kingmakers that selected the present Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III.
Mu’azu Halilu was born approximately in 1900 at the then Dukku District of Bauchi Province, to the family of erudite Islamic scholar, late Ladan Halilu, who was at the time the Chief Muezzin of Dukku Central Mosque.
According to his second son, Alhaji Umar Babagoro Mu’azu, late Mu’azu Ubandoma grew up in Dukku, where he was enrolled in both Islamic and western education by his parents. “When he finished elementary school, he came out with good results and was made a teacher in Dukku. He was teaching and living with his wife and two children there, when the then Emir of Gombe, late Alhaji Umar Kwairanga visited on a tour of villages and wards in the Dukku area.
Young Mu’azu was then part of the emir of Dukku’s entourage and in the course of the tour, Emir Umar noticed his striking intellect.
“After the tour, the emir of Gombe requested to take our father to help him in his palace. That was how he relocated to Gombe with his first wife, Hajiya Aishatu (Hajja Iya), his eldest son, Magaji Mu’azu, the present Ubandoman Gombe, and now our deceased sister, Fai’ma, who later married the then Emir of Ningi and died while giving birth,” Babagoro narrated.
Babagoro said the first two were the only children born in Dukku, but about 24 of them were all born in Gombe.
Not long after Mu’azu Halilu settled in Gombe palace, his intellectual prowess began to manifest and the emir made him the Magatakarda (a clerk) of the palace.
Because of his closeness to the emirate, when the seat of Ubandoma became vacant, following the elevation of the former title holder to Wazirin Gombe, Mu’azu was elevated to Ubandoma and one of the kingmakers.
“Initially, it was the family of the late Senator Ibrahim Jalo Waziri that were holding that title. But after the demise of Waziri Muhammadu and Waziri Tijjani, the seat became vacant during the reign of late Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Umar. He decided to give the title to the father of late Senator Jalo Waziri.
“The emir in his wisdom appointed our father, who was the Magatakarda to be the new Ubandoma around 1956,” he said and described their father as very religious, kind and tolerant, qualities he had succeeded in inculcating in all of them.
“He trained his children to always fear Allah and tell the truth, no matter what will happen. He always reminded us that nothing will happen to us without the consent of the Almighty Allah. That is why we will hardly find someone in the Ubandoma Family shying away from telling the truth no matter who is involved. I always remember his words and they guide me in whatever situation I find myself in the course of my career.
“The legacies left behind by our father are upright children and grandchildren who contributed a lot to the development of the country in many aspects and disciplines.
“During his lifetime, he worked with the Native Authority and we learnt patience, dedication and commitment in whatever assignment we are given,” he said.
At the time of his death, Mu’azu left behind four wives and 24 children, and all the children have established themselves in Nigerian public and private spheres. Among them is the present Ubandoman Gombe, Alhaji Magaji Mu’azu, who is his eldest son. He was a onetime chairman of NPN in Bauchi State and a Presidential Liaison Officer (PLO) in the then Gongola State, now Adamawa and Taraba states, during the regime of Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, between 1979 and 1983.
Umar Babagoro Mu’azu, worked with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for 35 years and retired in 2007 as Controller of the DPR.
The gallant officers of the Ubandoma family are; Late Muhammad Maikudi Mu’azu, who died in active service as a Colonel in the Army in the mid-1990s. Then Air Vice Marshall, Ahmadu Tijjani Mu’azu, who retired as the Commandant of the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna. He is presently a Commissioner representing North-East at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Colonel
Ibrahim Mu’azu, who is still serving, his younger brother and the last son of the family, Squadron Leader Muhammad Bello Mu’azu, serving with the Nigerian Air Force.
Apart from the army, there is a serving police officer, CP Zubairu Mu’azu who is currently Commissioner of Police at the Akwa Ibom State Police Command. A retired Nigeria Custom Service officer, Comptroller Dalhatu Mu’azu. Late Sa’adu Mu’azu died in service as an Immigration officer in the mid-1980s.
In the civil service there are; Usman (Bundi) Mu’azu, a retired Accountant with the Gombe State Government. Sai’du Mu’azu who works with the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe. Engineer Abubakar Mu’azu, a renowned engineer and the current General Manager of the Upper Benue River Basin Authority, Yola. Pharmacist Haruna Mu’azu, who is in private practice and based in Abuja. Abu Ubaida Mu’azu who works with the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe and Engineer Isa Mu’azu currently working with the NNPC.
The only officer not produced by the family in the armed forces is a naval officer. However, one of Ubandoma’s grandchildren, a son from his daughter, Hajiya Daibatu, is serving in the Nigerian Navy.
At a time when people detest western education and vehemently refused to send their children to school, because of his love for education, Mu’azu Halilu made sure that all his children, male and female alike, were enrolled in schools. As such, all his living female children, Hajiya Zainab, Hajiya Rukayyatu, Hajiya Daibatu, Hajiya Sa’adatu, Hajiya Ummul Khairi, Hajiya Aisha and Hajiya Zuwaira, at least acquired a primary school certificate before they were married off.
One distinguishable and unique nomenclature in the family is that all his over 100 grandchildren use Mu’azu as their surname. None among his grandchildren, born by his male children, used their respective father’s name. They all bear Mu’azu as their surname, making it a difficult task to differentiate who among the 18 male children of late Ubandoma Mu’azu gave birth to who.
Umar Babagoro explained why their children bear Mu’azu. “We want to leave a legacy where the name of our father will be immortalized. We want the name to be famous and well known all over the country and beyond, and Alhamdulillah, we have fulfilled that 41 years after his demise, his name still rings a bell across the length and breadth of Nigeria through his children and grandchildren.”
Apart from his children, Mu’azu took responsibility for many people who grew up and became responsible people in the society.
For instance, the last born of Ladan Halilu’s family, Jibril Halilu Dukku was brought up and enrolled into school by late Ubandoma.
“His younger brother Alhaji Jibril Halilu Dukku, who grew up under the tutelage of our father, was a onetime Commissioner in the old Bauchi State. His daughter too, Hajiya Aishatu Jibril Dukku, was a onetime Minister of State for Education and presently a member of the House of Representatives.
Babagoro Mu’azu said his only regret, “is our inability to meet at least annually to discuss issues affecting the whole family, or for our children and grandchildren to meet during Sallah holidays to know each other better,” he said.