Life and times of Ahmadu Coomassie (II)

Many have often wondered how Malam Ahmadu got the surname Coomassie, which was distinctly alien to Katsina. When Western education arrived in the North, in the early 1900s, students were registered mononymously, with only their first names. Later, towns of origin were added as their surnames, reflecting the Hausa culture of avoiding direct reference to their parents’ names. That can explain why, during that period, we had notable figures with names such as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano, Isa Kaita, Ahmadu Kurfi, Musa Yar’Adua, and others like them.

When Ahmadu returned from Kumasi to the Emir of Katsina’s household in 1924, he met another boy in the palace who was his namesake. To differentiate between the two Ahmadus, when they went to school, Ahmadu from Kumasi was registered as Ahmadu Coomassie, while the other one became Ahmadu Chikin Gida. As the schools were run by Europeans at the time, they chose to write Kumasi as Coomassie to reflect the English phonetic system.

Ahmadu’s grandfather, Yakubu, an Islamic scholar, emigrated from Kusada, a village in Katsina, to Kumasi in the Gold Coast in 1844, sojourning at many towns and villages of that famous trade route of the time, teaching and preaching Islam. He settled in that part of Northern Ghana, became the chief imam of the community and eventually also the Sarkin Zango. His son Sallau, Ahmadu’s father, succeeded him and expanded that role to higher levels. He became chief imam, then Sarkin Zangon Hausawan Kumasi and eventually Sarkin Zango of Kumasi (paramount chief of Kumasi).

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While in Kumasi, they have maintained contact with their roots in Katsina through regular correspondence and visits. Sallau, the Sarkin Zango, continued the tradition and even sent sons to stay with the Emir of Katsina. The Emir of Katsina, Usman Nagogo, reciprocated by sending his son Walis to be under the care of Sarkin Zangon Kumasi. That’s how, even though Ahmadu began his schooling in Kumasi, he was later shipped back to Katsina to continue his education there.

The book, Life and Times of Ahmadu Coomassie, not only chronicles the fascinating story of Ahmadu’s forebears, but also the story of Kusada in Katsina and Kumasi in Ghana. The writers of the book were fortunate to have access to the prodigious records kept by Malam Ahmadu. Also, Dahiru, one of the writers, who was the last son of Malam Ahmadu, had left his job in ABU Zaria to return to Katsina to nurse his father in his twilight years. He had access to Ahmadu’s meticulous records of correspondence and personal letters. This was augmented by the numerous interviews conducted by Mohammed Kabiru Sani in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as the data from official archives in both countries.

Thus, you will find in the book personal correspondence of Malam Ahmadu with his peers, particularly with those he served in the Ministry of Education and others he associated with when he became a boardroom guru. You will also find some important speeches he delivered, here and there, and radio and newspaper interviews. There are also heartfelt tributes to Malam Ahmadu when he died, from a host of Nigerian citizens who knew him. These tributes range from one written by President Shehu Shagari, Abdulrahman Mora, Sule Gaya, Sa’idu Barda, Lawal Kaita, to Dr Victor Olunloye, Bola Ige, Prof Sabiru Biobaku, Brigadier Abba Kyari and several others.

In all these tributes, the words and phrases used freely were integrity, selfless service, a man of principles, a Nigerian nationalist, an efficient and dedicated servant, etc. For example, Bola Ige must have thought the world of him. He wrote in his tribute: ‘I was together with Malam in the governing council of the University of Ibadan for six years. The thing that impressed me about Malam Coomassie was – he was a man of few words, but whenever he spoke, we listened attentively. And whenever he made a suggestion, even the chairman of council, who was Sir Samuel Manuwa, would listen very, very carefully.

President Shehu Shagari wrote: ‘I first met Malam Ahmadu in Kaduna when he was Permanent Secretary in the First Republic. But I used to meet him casually at the Premier’s house or some other places because I did not work in Kaduna. I was a member of parliament in Lagos from 1954 and later a federal minister. I used to visit Kaduna from time to time, and that was the occasion I had the pleasure of meeting him. I knew him from a distance, but I knew him with his reputation as a self-made man, very honest, hardworking, and a person of integrity.

Malam Mamman Daura, who wrote the epilogue of the book, also paid glowing tributes to Malam Ahmadu. He said all those who knew and worked with Malam Ahmadu remembered his work ethic, his vision, integrity, intelligence and devotion to family and community at large. Mamman Daura wrote: ‘Above all, he was known for his humility and sincerity. On no other occasion was his humility and magnanimity better illustrated than when he was offered the prestigious office of secretary to the Premier. In declining the post, Malam must have reasoned that Ali Akilu was younger, had a university education and was therefore more suitable. Such a selfless outlook is rare these days, with public officers claiming to know everything and to have the ability to do anything.