By Abubakar Imam
Alhaji Shehu Usman Mustafa, a seasoned politician, outstanding financial technocrat, remarkable community leader and third Wali of Ilorin, is 95 years old today.
Alhaji Mustafa was born into the family of the legendary Shaykh Mustafa Abubakar (d.1969) and Alhaja Laelatu (aka Iya Malete) of Alkali Mustapha Compound, Isale Aluko, Ilorin, on April 30, 1930.
This distinguished patriot is today one of the very few oldest western educated statesmen Ilorin Emirate is left with. He has very few older contemporaries even among those who didn’t have the privilege of obtaining the so-called western education.
A member of his generation, who is still around, is the renowned teacher of teachers and one-time Principal of Government Secondary School, Ilorin, Alhaji AbdulRahim Adebayo, OON. Alhaji Adebayo, who is otherwise known as Adebayo Malete, was born in 1927, making him 98 years old as at the date of this publication.
These two gentlemen, like many of their contemporaries, are probably older than their declared ages. This is because the specific dates of birth of members of their generations are rarely recorded. Their dates of birth are conjectured and, therefore, often reduced for them not to be seen to be too old for enrollment in school.
They were given their respective ages by the authorities of their times based on significant occurrences, which happened around the period they were born. My own father, the late Mallam Jimoh Imam Pakata, told me this and I confirmed the “tradition” from the late Alhaji Safi’i Usuf Olodo. Alhaji Olodo, who died in February, 2001 as the Magaji Olodo in the Oke-Ikoyi axis of Adeta, Ilorin, in an interview granted yours sincerely, recalled that when he told the authorities of the then Ilorin Middle School in 1948 that he was born in 1929, he was instructed to keep his real date of birth to himself and henceforth adopt 1932 as his official year of birth.
Three other western educated elders of Ilorin Emirate origin in their 90s, known to this author (there maybe others), are a retired teacher and business man, Alhaji Ibrahim Hadi Gada, who was born in 1932; and the Captain of Northern Lions (the official football team of the defunct Northern Region between 1960 and 1966), Alhaji Abdulmalik Babamale, who was born in 1934 and, of course, the mother of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, Alhaja Raliat AbdulRazaq, who would soon mark her 95th birthday.
Alhaji Mustafa seems to be a special breed of man. He is, by the special grace of Allah, defying scientific and cultural postulations associated with old age.
This elder statesman has crossed the national and global life expectancy, which stands at 54.6 and 73.3 years, respectively.
Baba is one of those individuals that can be described as “adagba mon gbo” (an aged person who escapes senility). Seeing him makes one have more admiration for old age.
Despite his advanced age, Alhaji Mustafa remains relatively energetic and active. He still does things that people who are much younger would not try. He still attends public functions including the traditional ‘wasi ale” during the Ramadan fast.
Alhaji Mustafa is also mentally alert. His ability to recall faces, persons, dates and events is quite remarkable and exciting for a person of his age.
The saying that “O dagba, oju re ko ni ri ibi, okan ni ofi owo mu” (longevity and happiness do not go paripasu) does not apply to him.
I had been part of a delegation of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), which visited him for consultation last year. I took advantage of the visit to request an appointment with him for him to share his elementary school days reminiscences with me. I was then planning to publish an article on the 90 years history of the famous Pakata Primary School, Ilorin. He consented.
On getting to him on the appointed date, which was exactly a week after, Alhaji Mustafa effortlessly recognised me. He said that I needed not to introduce myself to him again having done so earlier as a son of Mallam Jimoh Pakata who was his junior both at Pakata and Alalubosa in the 1940s.
Last year again, I was one of the two members who accompanied the IEDPU’s National President, Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo Abdulmalik, on a visit to the old man. It was on Baba’s invitation. The way Alhaji Mustafa received and addressed the IEDPU’s delegation on a burning public matter, which concerned one of his children, revealed his love for the Ilorin Emirate. He was able to effortlessly recall so many historical episodes and personalities to buttress his point on the need for the people of Ilorin Emirate to eschew bitterness and embrace peace and development.
Alhaji Mustafa is a very successful father. He is also an accomplished community leader and a frontline statesman by every standard.
From the civil service, Alhaji Mustafa retired at the topmost level. He did as Secretary to the Okene Local Government Council now in Kogi State. To members of the “indomie generations”, the present-day Kogi Central Senatorial District, which covers the entire Ebiraland (Okene is the chief town of the Ebira people); and the entire Kogi West Senatorial District were parts of Kwara State prior to the creation of Kogi State in August,1991 by the Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
As a community leader, he had the privilege of serving as the National President of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, which was then known as Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union. He held the position from 1976 to 1978. He was the third National President of the Union. He was only preceded by the Alhaji Mahmud Bayo Baker, who hailed from Gegele Quarters and Alhaji Adio Agboola Jimoh (1922-1984) of Oloje area, Ilorin. They served as the first and second National Presidents of the Union, respectively.
In politics, Alhaji Mustafa was also very successful. He was the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Development in Kwara State during the second republic from 1979 to 1982 under Governor Adamu Atta, a prince of Ebiraland now in Kogi State. He also served as the Chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the aborted third republic.
As a family man, it has been nothing but success for this outstanding nonegarian. Alhaji Mustafa is happily married and blessed with highly successful children who are doing very well. This can be seen in the fact that among his children are an international business mogul, Hajiya Afusat Saro; a retired Permanent Secretary, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Mustapha; a former Member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Mashood Usman Mustapha; a celebrated Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mallam AbdulHakeem Uthman Mustapha; a topmost banker and media mogul, Mallam Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha; and Alhaji Kayode Usman Mustapha, who manages the popular Sobi 101.9 FM, Ilorin.
Other children of this exemplary statesman include Alhaji Kazeem Mustapha, a successful contractor and Alhaji Mustapha Usman Mustapha, an outstanding Lagos-based legal practitioner.
Alhaji Mustafa is also the first person in the annals of Ilorin Emirate who simultaneously holds an honourary traditional title first along with his son-in-law, Alhaji Umaru Aminu Saro, the immediate past Sardauna of Ilorin; and subsequently with his biological son, Alhaji Mashood Usman Mustapha, the Wakili of Ilorin.
He is indisputably the oldest traditional title holder in contemporary Ilorin Emirate. He is also the oldest of the surviving former National Presidents of IEDPU.
All those who know Alhaji Mustafa would easily recall that he was a close friend and loyal lieutenant of the late Waziri of Ilorin and second republic Senate Leader, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki (1933-2012). He was also a friend and contemporary of the late Mutawali of Ilorin, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Folorunso AbdulRazaq, SAN, OFR(1927-2020). Alhaji Mustafa and the first Northern Nigerian lawyer worked together, along with several other Ilorin patriots, to ensure that the defunct Ilorin province remained an integral part of the erstwhile Northern Region. This was in the late 1950s. His other friends include the late Alhaji S.K. DanAlhaji, a very prominent businessman, who died in 1992; Alhaji Abdulkadir Oba Aluko of Alikali Ikokoro Compound, Ilorin, who was also his colleague in the services of the old Ilorin Native Authority; Alhaji Muhammed Sanusi Akanbi Alakoso, and, of course, Alhaji Saka Opobiyi (1932-2003), who was the Chief Administrative Officer in the defunct Ilorin Native Authority as well as Alhaji Issa Ameen Akota, who was the Chief Imam of the popular Augustus Mosque, Lagos.
His list of friends also included the second Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, the late Alhaji Ismaila Sadik (1938-2017); a Member of the House of Representatives during the second republic, Alhaji Yinusa Ayinla Folorunso, the current Magaji of the Kutasi family, Omoda, Ilorin; and Alhaji Suleiman Olojo, the serving Head of the Olojo family, Isale-Aluko, Ilorin.
Alhaji Mustafa, who is otherwise known among his contemporaries as Usman Alao or Usman Aluko, attended Pakata Primary School, Ilorin, from 1939 to 1943. He was admitted into the school five years after it was founded (1934) as the first son of Isale-Aluko to be enrolled in school.
He was subsequently trained at the Ilorin Middle School (now GSS, Ilorin). He was educated at the premier secondary school in Kwara State from 1944 to 1949.
Alhaji Mustafa, who started his career in 1950 as a staff of the defunct Ilorin Native Authority, was also trained at the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
This exemplary statesman, who was a football star during his younger days, is also a well-travelled gentleman. He has visited several countries for business and leisure over the years.
As Alhaji Mustafa marks his 95th birthday today, I join his relations and other compatriots to wish him sound health and more happiness as well as every other thing he would need to live much longer and contribute more to community and human development.
Imam is Chief Scribe, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.
