Sule Lamido: A noble northerner, patriotic Nigerian

When Sule Lamido took over power in 2007, Jigawa was at the peak of political, social, economic and even mental degradation. You cannot imagine the terrible condition of our schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructures. They were in a total state of dilapidation. But within a short time, Lamido restored a new social life for the people by providing succour and changed the social, economic and mental thinking of the people of the state.

Even though Sule Lamido is not a sectional leader but he did his best to promote and unite the northerners. For example, he appointed his first adviser on media from Benue State, an Idoma man and a Christian. The first pioneer, Vice-Chancellor of the state varsity “Sule Lamido University, Kafin-Hausa” Professor Abdullahi Ribadu is from Adamawa State. Non-indigenes were given scholarships and plots of land to build on. Even the free medical care for pregnant women and children under five non-indigenes were beneficiaries under Lamido’s administration.

Sule Lamido named some important places in the state after some prominent northerners. Ahmadu Bello Hall, the event centre, Malam Aminu triangle, Yakubu Gowon NYSC Orientation Camp, sports complex, Abubakar Rimi and Inuwa Dutse housing estates and Bilyaminu Usman College of Agriculture, Hadejia etc.

Sule Lamido is truly a patriotic Nigerian because he has been working for Nigeria to be united, efficient and great for over four decades. He was never accused of bigotry, nepotism, tribal/religious/regional or sectional sentiment. He is subject of political witch hunt, intimidation, victimisation, deprivation, oppression and humiliation in the process of bringing back democracy and its values in place. He was jailed severally especially during the military rule because of political and democratic struggles.

Sule Lamido supported a Hausa/ Fulani man, Malam Aminu Kano of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in 1979 to be Nigeria’s president. He supported an Igbo man, Chief Nmandi Azikiwe of Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in 1983 to be Nigeria’s president. He supported MKO Abiola a Yoruba man to be Nigeria’s president under Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993. Lamido also supported Chief Olusegun Obasanjo under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and 2003.

Lamido also supported late Yar’adua in 2007. He supported Jonathan, an Ijaw man from the South South in 2011 and 2015. Also, after Lamido lost to Atiku in the 2019 presidential election, Lamido supported and worked for Atiku Aubakar to be Nigeria’s president in 2019.

Lamido named a G9 quarters after prominent Nigerian politicians who initiated and struggled to form PDP and to bring back democracy from the military regime during Abacha’s era in 1998.

Lamido has dined, but not wined, with the high and mighty all over the world. There is nothing he has not seen. He will keep on working for Nigeria to become efficient and great. These are some of the attitudes he imbibed from the late Malam Aminu Kano and he is not going to depart from it. Lamido has made a lot of sacrifices for this country, Nigeria. His contributions have re-united and reawakened Nigeria. And his agitation for change will continue as an act, dream and commitment

Thank you Sule Lamido for keeping history alive. You will always be remembered for the struggle you undergo, the hardship you encountered, the deprivations you offered, the sacrifice you made, the institutions you built, the legacies you’ll leave behind and the achievements you made.

You are truly the best Jigawa governor, a noble northerner, a patriotic citizen, a genuine and reliable Nigerian politician.

Adamu write from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa state. amu3333@yahoo.com