YUSUF MAITAMA SULE: THE DEATH OF A POLITICiAN, DIPLOMAT AND ACCLAIMED ORATOR
Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule traversed the landscape of this country from
the struggle for self governance, independence and thesundayletters
struggle to make what is today known as "Nigeria".
He is part and parcel of the first generation of the civil servants,
that worked assiduously for making Nigeria a giant in the Sahara west
Africa and even beyond. The stars of this erudite nationalist was
dimmed with his death in far away Cairo on the 3 July, 2017.
Late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, was a great acclaimed orator as his
words are always words of wisdom. This writer, right from his
secondary days in the 80's developed special interest on this elder
statesman because of the power of his oratory especially when he was
invited to an occasions as a guest speaker. His words spur the writer
to aim for greater heights.
Infact, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, is a gifted orator. This was
collaborated to the writer by his cousin, late Alhaji Adamu Suleiman,
a former Inspector-General of Police, and a school mate to Late Alhaji
Yusuf Maitama Sule, at the famous Barewa College, Zaria.
late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, in the year 1978/79 contested in the
primaries of the then National Party of Nigeria with Alhaji Shehu
Usman Aliyu Shagari for the highest of the land. When he lost to
Alhaji Shehu Shagari and was made the country's Permanent
Representative to the United Nation by the then President Shehu
Shagari.
Before then, he was in 1976, under the then military administration of
Gen Murtala/Obasanjo, the Federal Commissioner of Public Complaints.
On the second coming of Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, he was made
the Minister of National Guidance to reorientate the people of this
country before the military struck.
He participated actively in the politics of the country and he is a
fearless and advocate of peace, late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, in all
his official dealings as a public servant take his job so seriously
because he is a potent political commodity.
He is a person, that give high premium on respect for those ahead of
him in age. That was the main reason he conceded defeat to Alhaji
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari in the National Party of Nigeria primaries
and even went on campaigning for him for the general election in 1979.
As an orator, late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, made a very interesting
statement, that some people feel offended. He is credited to have
say"Everyone has a gift from God. The Northerners are endowed by God
with leadership qualities. The Yorubas man knows how to earn a living
and has diplomatic qualities. The Igbo man is gifted in trade,
commerce and technological innovation. God so created us equally with
purpose and different gifts"
late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, believes in traditional values. He has
playing advisory role in the Kano Emirate for a very period of time.
It is because of this, that the late Emir of Kano, late Alhaji Ado
Bayero conferred on him the traditional title of "Danmasanin Kano".
He spent the last part of his life advocating peace to exist between
the people of the component parts of Nigeria and for the people to do
away with any kind of primordial interest. Late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama
Sule, has been preaching for the unity of this great country and he
served not to be served diligently.
It is on record, that the late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, never use
his position or the positions he occupied to cut corners and he is a
person known to have not maintain any foreign to date.
The likes of the late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, are very hard to be
found in this country. He come, saw and gone now. May Allah reward him
more abundantly with aljannatulip firdausi.
Usman Santuraki
No2 Santuraki Close
Jambutu, Jimeta-Yola
08032333546