Opinion:The passing of Alhaji Abubakar Lah, Shettiman Ilorin by Is'haq Modibbo Kawu

Date: 2013-07-26

By Is'haq Modibbo Kawu

Last Sunday, Alhaji Abubakar Lah, Shettiman Ilorin died. He was in his late 90s and was in fact, the oldest surviving alumnus of the famous Barewa College, Zaria. I think it was in 2002 that I conducted and published a lengthy interview with Alhaji Lah, as Editor of DAILY TRUST; it alerted the hierarchy of BOBA, the Barewa old boys association, that he was still alive and was their oldest member. I was in Ilorin up till early Monday morning but somehow missed the story of his passing.

I only discovered on Monday night, back in Abuja, as I checked a local Ilorin website for stories of happenings in the community. I had a very close relationship with the incredibly modest old man, who had played a central role in the education of many generations of people all over Northern Nigeria. He spoke many languages: Yoruba, Hausa, Nupe, Fulfulde and English, amongst several others.

The late Lamidon Adamawa was one of the oldest monarchs in the North, but had in fact been a student of the late Alhaji Abubakar Lah. A few years ago, the Emir of Ilorin told me an interesting story. There had been a meeting of Northern Emirs in Kaduna and the late Lamido  inquired about the late Alhaji Lah.

He was alive, hale and hearty, the Emir of Ilorin told the Lamido. A few months down the line, Alhaji Lah was made head of a delegation to Adamawa, where he met his old student, the Lamido and other former students, after over sixty years. Alhaji Abubakar Lah was a repository of the history of his times and as the famous Malian historian, Professor Hampate Ba once said, an old man or woman in Africa, was the repository of the history of our peoples, and everytime they die, it was the equivalence of the burning of a library.

With Alhaji Abubakar Lah's death, Ilorin, the North and Nigeria, lost a remarkable son who contributed, especially in those early years that we have continued to valorize as our golden age. May Allah forgive his sins and grant him AljannaAllah ya jikan Shettiman Ilorin, Alhaji Abubakar Lah.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

CLAY POT     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Toyosi Thomas     Baba-Isale     Jimoh Akani     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Farouk Salim     JAMB     New Model Police Station     Olokoba     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Ijagbo Health Centre     Bamidele Adegoke     Ajakaye     Sobi Hill     Kisra     Afeyin-Olukuta     Amosa     Elections     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Kwara University Of Education     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Kale Ayo     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Sadiq Buhari     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Kayode Zubair     SAPZ Project     Tescom.kwarastate.gov.ng     Unilorin     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     Akorede     Asa     Segun Adeniyi     James Kolo     Rihanat Ajia     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Amos Bajeh     Folorunsho Erubu     Seed Technologies     Women Radio     Bayer AG     Offorjama     Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     08001000100     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Adedipe     Olayinka Oladapo Jogunola     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Aminat Ahmed     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     LAK Jimoh     Deji Ajani     Wale Oladepo     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet     IESA     Alapansapa     Yakubu Gobir     Balogun Ajikobi     Reuben Paraje     Dagbalodo     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Minister     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Ilorin Curfew     Maryam A. Garuba     Millennium Development Goals     Noah Yusuf     Ayodele Shittu    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Saba Jibril     Balogun Gambari     QuickWin     Kwara North     Ndama Al-hassan     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Funmi Salau     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Seni Saraki     Yusuf Lanre Badmus     Ilofa     Alapado     Assayomo     Bayo Lawal     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Oluronke Adeyemi     Student Learning Support Helpline     Femtech     AbdulHamid Adi     Illyasu Abdullahi     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     NURTW     Fatimat Saliu     Isiaq Khadeejah     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Abubakar Lah     Siraj Oyewale     Lanre Badmus     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Magaji Erubu     Kwara NIPR     Abdulrasaq Alaro     College Of Health     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Ajakaye     Fatimoh Lawal     Isiaka Oniwa     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Lateef Alagbonsi     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     Monsurat Omotosho     National Party Of Nigeria     Local Government Pension Board     Musbau A. Akanji     Baba Idris     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Igosun     Raji AbdulRasaq     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Funmilayo Oniwa     Jamiu Oyawoye     Hausa     Offa Metropolitan Club     Emir Of Lafiagi     Ajikobi     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Overland     Sam Onile     Mohammed Yisa     Okin High School     Towoju     Segun Adeniyi     Oke-Kura     Mustapha Olanipekun     Kwara State Television     Ajase-Ipo     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Bio Ibrahim     Timothy Akangbe     Agboola Abdulraheem     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Sunday Popo-Ola     Segun Abifarin     Kunle Okeowo