Alhaji Dr. Shehu Idris is the 18th Fulani Emir of Zazzau who doubles as the head of the emirate and the Chairman of Kaduna State Council of Chiefs. He is one of the flag bearers of the Sokoto Caliphate. The 17th Fulani Emir was from the Katsinawa dynasty, turban on February 8, 1975, during the regime of Brigadier Abba Kyari, the then governor of the north-central state. He was born on the 20th of February, 1936 to Mallam Idris Autan Sambo and Hajiya Aminatu. Shehu Idris is the grandson of Mallam Muhammadu Sambo, the tenth Emir of Zazzau who reigned between 1878 and 1888.
Dr. Idris started his education being tutored by two Islamic scholars in Zaria and then continued with formal studies at the Zaria Elementary School. He was at the elementary school from 1947 till 1950, during this period; the young Idris lost his father when he was 12 years old. Idris continued both his Qur’anic and formal education and enrolled in the Zaria Middle School in 1950 and finished studies in 1955. He then attended Katsina Training College to become a teacher. In 1958, he was a teacher at a school in Hunkuyi and then taught at a few other schools in Zaria. Thereafter, he left teaching. In the 1960s, he was a private secretary to Sarkin Zazzau, Muhammadu Aminu, he was also appointed as the secretary to the Zaria Native Authority council in 1965. In 1973, he has bestowed the title of Dan Madamin Zaria and was appointed the district head of Zaria and Kewaye.
The tremendous success recorded by Zazzau emirate under his stewardship was instantaneous, was not because there were enough resources thrown into it, but because the vision was clear, the need was obvious, the reason was cogent and the hour was ripe.
According to an investigation carried out by this blogger, Dr. Idris is such a man who can take care of business, successfully run his home and still be available to friends and family that need him. Such a man is faithful and loyal and not afraid of letting others into his world. In short, he is divine, inspired, victorious, and anointed for a special purpose, because there is that special thing that sets some people glowing apart from others. That certain special difference, that quality is always hard to define because it is a tantalizing mixture of so many things. My observation on the emir is that he is a man who knows who he is and is not afraid to let the world know it through his good leadership qualities to the downtrodden in the society.
The rest of the mind is a special gift given to mankind, though not all of them were lucky to possess this gift, the lucky ones are very few in numbers. One of the very signs of possessing rest of mind is leaving everything one comes across to the will of Allah. Though, whoever possesses rest of mind, he/she is bound to challenges, trials, obstacles, and hurdles. But in the end, they will become lessons to him in his/her journey to stardom. One is right to say that this quality is one the secrets used by the paramount ruler of Zazzau emirate to record tremendous achievements in his 44 years on the throne.
This Friday 8th February 2019 marks his 44 year’s selfless service to the Zazzau Kingdom since he ascended the throne of the Zazzau Emirate on February 8th, 1975. He is the longest-serving emir on the throne in the history of the emirate. He respects every person that comes across him no matter his social status. He believes in excellent performance and recognizes such efforts in individuals who prove their hard work. Apart from the rest of the mind that he is proud to be born with, he is a peace-loving emir since his childhood days.
As then reporter of Kaduna based Hotline Magazine, reporting activities of traditional rulers in the country, I remember his roles in curbing the menace of crisis in Plateau State where he used his vast experience and make the said mayhem to become history of the past, even now if the present administration of Buhari can liaise with him crisis of such nature would become history by the grace of Allah, he loves peace and he is working diligently to actualize his dream of having peaceful atmosphere in his kingdom and the country in general.
He plays important roles in making not only his country home Zaria great but the country as a whole, I remember during the last year Edl-Kabir festival he called for a holistic fight against drug abuse among the youth to guarantee a brighter future for the society.
The called according to the dynamic leader of high magnitude becomes necessary in view of the negative consequences of the drug abuse on youths and society. He appeals to parents and guardians to be mindful of the responsibilities vested on them, especially in the area of proper upbringing of their children, to enable them to become useful to themselves, society and the nation.
The emir adds: “I want to call on parents to double their efforts towards providing Islamic and western education to their children and also ensure their proper upbringing to build a brighter future.
“We must collectively monitor their activities in order to guide them against all sorts of social vices so that they can grow as better citizens and good future leaders.
“I want to use this medium to appreciate the present administrations in Kaduna State and Nigeria over the successes recorded in the past few years.”
He called on the people to support government policies and programs, especially those meant to change their lives for the better.
The royal father charged the people to report to the appropriate authorities’ outbreak of any disease for necessary actions to be taken before it escalated.
He also encouraged the people to provide the security agencies with useful information that would assist in providing adequate security of lives and property of Nigerians.
The emir also champions the cause of education more especially that up of girl-child which is facing serious challenges in northern Nigeria, I remember when an NGO, Arewa Youth Trust Foundation paid him a courtesy call in his palace in Zaria, he made following remarks.
“It is, of course, true, if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate the society because she is a mother and the first teacher of a child.
“Mother is a pacesetter, foundation, and pillars upon which children build their entire life, therefore, if she is educated, she will make sure she raised educated children, thereby liberating and emancipating the society from ills of illiteracy.”
The peace-loving leader urged parents to encourage their children including the girl-child to pursue both western and Islamic education for the benefit of not only their immediate family but also society.
He pledges his total support to individuals and groups holistically involved in promoting girl-child education, and in addressing the welfare of orphans and fighting drug abuse. The energetic emir lauded the efforts of the Arewa Youth Trust Foundation at sensitizing and creating awareness in the areas of health, education, peacebuilding, social investment and advocacy on policies.
“I am impressed by your gigantic efforts at designing and executing programs that educate the youths to become useful to themselves and society. “These are important and laudable programs that would give the youths a sense of direction and a sense of hope for a brighter future.” The emir said.
The emir is always ready to partner with organizations, companies both government and private in anything going to improve the living standard of his good loving people since his inception to date his palace doors are widely open to such gestures from anywhere in the world that would join hands with him in his quest and desire of taking his kingdom to stardom.
It is not surprising to anyone who knows the emir’s desire and good intentions towards uplifting the status of his people from grass to grace hosting Airtel Company in his palace after the company’s commissioning of the newly built and adopted Yahaya Hamza Primary School in Zaria, the emir said Airtel has left an indelible mark in the ancient city with the reconstruction.
“What Airtel Nigeria has done will make good history. The company will never be forgotten by members of the community of Zaria City. We use to send our students abroad to learn something with great expectation but the narrative has continued to change in recent times. We promise you that we will make sure that all the facilities provided by Airtel in the school will be put into proper use”, he said.
He has been the Chairman at Nigerian-German Chemicals PLC since December 2004. A seasoned administrator and scholar and a well-respected traditional ruler in Nigeria, he serves as a Director of Fountain Trust Bank PLC MAERSK Line (Nigeria) Ltd and Nigerian Tobacco Company. He served as a Director of UNIC Insurance PLC. In the course of his career, he served in various positions in the Ministry of Local Government and Zaria Local Authority Council, Kaduna State Broadcasting Corporation. He is Grand Patron to several Associations and Schools across the country and beyond. His hobbies include reading Holy Qur’an and teaching it to the family and others around, horse racing, rearing of domestic animals, farming, traveling.
“I owe long life, peaceful co-existence to Almighty Allah’’ these have always been the humble words of the reputable emir. May Allah continue to be with him amen.
Alkammawa (is a direct descendant of Malam Umarunmu Alkammu of blessed memory one of the Kingmakers of Sokoto Caliphate since its inception in 1804 to date, holding the title of Magajin Rafi of Sokoto,) writes from Sultan Muhammadu Bello Road Kaduna, with references from Wikipedia, Punch & The Nation newspapers of Nigeria. 07030399110 08155092812