Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The family of the first republic politician and ideologue Malam Sa’adu Zungur have appealed to the Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed to rename the state university after the late hero.
The family under the aegis of ‘Zauren Sarkin Zungur Muhammadu Bello’ made the appeal Monday during their annual general family meeting held at the conference hall of the Bauchi central mosque.
Speaking at the occasion, the leader of the family group Dr Hamid Adamu Mohammed who is a lecturer at the federal polytechnic Bauchi lamented that the late icon who was a son of Sarkin Zungur Muhammadu Bello was not accorded the desired honour and recognition by successive governments in the state despite his contribution to nation building and education.
According to him, his contemporaries like late Maitama Sule, Aminu Kano etc were immortalized in Kano state pointing out that some tertiary institutions in Bauchi state were named after some politicians that were less prominent than him.
“There is a college of education that was named after Aminu Saleh and another named after Ajiya Adamu. But if you compare Sa’adu Zungur and the dou, they were not peers. He was their role model. Some states recognized Sa’adu Zungur more than here in Bauchi state.
“Kano state named a newspaper organization after him. So if other states could immortalize him, why not Bauchi? I believe that if the state university is renamed after him, nobody will complain because he deserves it and everyone knows his contribution to the educational and political development of the north and country”. He said.
Also speaking, a traditional ruler and village head of Zungur in Bauchi state Malam Sa’id Hamid Bello revealed that Sarkin Zungur Muhammadu Bello begot the late Malam Sa’adu Zungur and late chief Imam of Bauchi Liman Mahmud.
He asserted that the dou were heros that will never be forgotten by the posterity in the state, the north and country at large.
“Sa’adu Zungur was a great politician, poet and philosopher who fought for Nigeria’s independence and contributed immensely to the political development of Nigeria.
“His books are still relevant and source of inspiration to Nigerians. I call on his grandchildren and other youth to emulate his virtues”.
” Another great man produced by the family was late Liman Mahmud who was a famous and erudite islamic scholar in the northern Nigeria.
“Liman Mahmud was appointed the chief Imam of Bauchi central mosque at a tender age of 30 due to his erudition and vast knowledge of islamic jurisprudence. Some of his other children held the positions of imams too in the Bauchi central mosque and served as judges in islamic courts.
“He mentored many islamic scholars within and outside Bauchi state who are great clergymen now”. He said. END
