Bird fighter makes deputy governors’ list in North-West
This is a continuation of a special series on “Know Nigeria’s Deputy Governors” which we started last week. This week, Daily Trust on Sunday provides additional scintillating information on the profiles of the Deputy Governors from the North-West geo-poli
KThe deputy governor of Kebbi State is Mr Samaila Dabai Yombe, who is a retired colonel of the Nigerian Army. The job took him to the war front during the Nigerian Civil War.
After retirement, Mr Yombe has been channeling his energy into other ventures. He has taken up the challenge of fighting quella birds that have been wreaking havoc on farmers and farmlands in the State and many Northern states.
Yombe, trained as a military pilot flew combat aircraft, never knew that he would later deploy the training to fighting quella birds.When he voluntarily retired from the military in 1990 after 23 years in service, the then late General Sani Abacha called for his redeployment to take charge of air transport in the Department of Aviation, now Ministry of Aviation.
In 2006, Mr Yombe decided to consider the self-employment option as he bought two aircraft auctioned by the Civil Aviation School, Zaria.
When he bought them, he never knew that his aircraft were equipment and tools that could be used for pest control. Later, he won a contract for quella bird control before his newly acquired aircraft could leave the maintenance hangar.
Experts in the Ministry of Agriculture taught him on the techniques of aerial battle of birds that could be in millions.
President Muhammadu Buhari, during his presidential campaign tour to Birnin Kebbi, described Yombe as a fine soldier.
Mr Yombe, who hails from Dabai/Rumu ward in Dabai Chiefdom of Zuru Local Government Area, was until his consideration as a running mate an unknown figure in the politics of Zuru, Kebbi and Nigeria.
However, he is among the elders of the Zuru Emirate who led the agitation for power shift. He was appointed Chairman, Publicity Committee of the Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi led elders forum known as Zuru Consultative Initiative (ZUCI).
When ZUCI nominated governorship aspirants who were presented to former Governor Saidu Dakingari, Mr Yombe never indicated his aspiration for any political position. So, his nomination as running mate to Senator Atiku Bagudu of the APC came as a big surprise to Yombe and many politicians in the state.
His consideration was seen as a factor that gave the APC an edge over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Gen Sarkin-Yaki Bello, whose party chose to pick its running mate from Argungu Emirate in person of Sen. Abubakar Tafida.
Zamfara settled for son of an Islamic scholar
The deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mallam Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad, was born to the family of a renowned Islamic scholar, Muhammad Liman, on September 12, 1966 in Gusau city, Gusau Local Government Area.
Mallam Wakkala attended Danturai Primary School, Gusau from 1971 to 1978. He proceeded to Government Secondary School, Shinkafi and obtained his West African School Certificate Examination from 1978 to 1983.
He then went to Federal School of Arts and Science, Sokoto from 1985 to 1986. In 1986, he attended Islamic African Centre, Khartoum, Sudan and obtained Diploma in Education and Islamic Studies.
In 1988, he gained admission into the International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan to study Islamic Sharia. He then returned to Islamic University Omdurman, Sudan for Masters degree in Islamic Sharia between 1992 and 1995.
Mallam Wakkala started his working career as a part-time hajj Operational Staff in 1988. He taught at Government Day Arabic Secondary School, Gusau from1995 to 1999.
His foray into politics started with the return to civilian administration in the country in 1999. Wakkala was appointed as Commissioner in the Ministry for Religious Affairs by the first civilian governor of Zamfara state, Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yarima, between 1999 and 2007. Yarima then appointed him as his senior legislative aide up to 2011. Wakkala was then nominated by Governor AbdulAziz Yari to be his running mate in the 2011 governorship election on the platform of the defunct ANPP. So, he became the deputy governor.
His hobbies include carrying out research in both western and Islamic education and
preaching the path of Allah.
A former deputy governor’s aide takes over in Katsina
Alhaji Mannir Yakubu is the deputy governor of Katsina state. For the past 36 years, Alhaji Yakubu has been in the opposition parties. In 1979, young Mannir, who had two years before his graduation from Ahmadu Bello University, was appointed as Principal Secretary to the deputy governor of old Kaduna state, Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi. He served under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) of Malam Balarabe Musa, who was the governor.
Having worked briefly in the public service as the first chief quantity surveyor of Kaduna ministry of works, Alhaji Yakubu left the public service in September 1983 and set up his consulting firm Project-Cost-Consultant, which was involved in development projects.
With the return of democracy, he returned to politics. He contested the Katsina Central