Opinion:The passing of Alhaji Abubakar Lah, Shettiman Ilorin by Is'haq Modibbo Kawu
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 Aljanna. Allah ya jikan Shettiman Ilorin, Alhaji Abubakar Lah.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Tunde Oyawoye Mohammed Yisa Ado Ibrahim Oke-Odo Jelili Yusuf Bamikole Omishore Durosinlohun Kawu Rapheal Ashaolu Usman Yunusa Razaq Atunwa Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan Ekiti Ishola Balogun Fulani Aiyedun Abdulrasheed Lafia Christopher Ayeni Wahab Femi Agbaje Medview Airlines Esuwoye Suleiman Mora Omar Park Bello John Olanrewaju Abdulrahman Abdulrasak Omupo Unicontinental Construction Company Sidikat Akaje Abioye Bello A.G.F Abdulrasaq Boko Haram Aminat Omodara Musibau Akanji PPS Third Estate Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement Tunde Saad Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners Oladipo Akanmu Tolani Raymond Olaitan Femi Agbaje Aminu Adisa Logun Diagnostic Centre Omu-aran Folaranmi Aro Oko-Olowo AbdulFatai Adeniyi Dan-Kazeem Olabanji Orilonishe Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah Suleiman Abubakar Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab COEASU Zara Umar Samuel Adaramola Siddiq Adebayo Idowu Salawu Elese Of Igbaja UNILORIN Alumni Association Lateef Ademola Olatunji Kayode Oyin Zubair New Nigeria People’s Party Abdulsalam A. Yusuf Gwanara Standard Organization Of Nigeria Abatemi-Usman Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union Salmon Babatunde Salmon Sardauna Of Ilorin Gbugbu International Market Ilorin Curfew Ishaq Oloyede Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu Col. Taiwo Babatunde Ishola Babaita Olaiya Victor Mobolaji Iyabo Adewuyi Tanke Road Osuwa Aremu Bose Deborah Aliyu Muyideen

