Table of Contents
SERVICES TO HUMANITY
Besides the services the Waziri of Katsina, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, has rendered (and is still rendering) to the people of Katsina Emirate, Katsina State and the Nigerian Nation, as listed earlier in this publication; the Waziri’s principal hobby is service to humanity through non-governmental community based organisations. The Waziri participated fully in the establishment of Katsina State Development Fund (Gidauniyar Jihar Katsina), Katsina Education Trust Fund and Katsina Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (which he Chairs its Board). However, the most prominent of the services to humanity the Waziri rendered to the Muslim Ummah in particular is the establishment of Katsina Islamic University. Below is a brief on these Non-Governmental Organisations.
KATSINA STATE DEVELOPMENT FUND
Katsina State Development Fund, popularly known as the “Gidauniyar Jihar Katsina” in the Hausa language is the best example of a community owned Trust Fund. Many States of the Federation established Development Funds in the early 1990’s but none is as buoyant as that of Katsina State. Indeed several others had totally collapsed. The Gidauniya was launched on Saturday 5th January 1991 by a 27-member Special Appeal Fund Launching Committee headed by Alhaji Aliyu Balarabe Saulawa, with the Waziri of Katsina, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, as Chairman of the Planning and Organising Sub-Committee. The sum of N51,256,377.66 (fifty one million two hundred and fifty six thousand three hundred and seventy seven Naira sixty six kobo) was realized at the launching of the N200 million Appeal Fund. A little above ten years later (in 2004), the sincerity, dedication and expertise of the Board of Trustees multiplied that amount, in cash and cash equivalent to about N448 million. That was apart from development projects carried out all over the State. It was no wonder that such achievements were recorded considering that the pioneer Trustees of the Fund consisted of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (as Chairman) and such Members as the Waziri of Katsina, Alhaji Isa Kaita, Hon. Justice Muhammadu Bello and Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina.
KATSINA STATE EDUCATION TRUST FUND
Katsina State Education Trust Fund was established in order to restore the lost glory of education in Katsina State. A successful launching of the five hundred million Naira Education Appeal Fund was held in November 1997. The launching of the Fund was successfully organised by the Special Appeal Fund Committee under the distinguished chairmanship of Alhaji (Dr) M.T. Usman (Santurakin Katsina), with the Publicity Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, the Waziri of Katsina. The Trust Fund was registered as an incorporated body in 1998 with the Board of Trustees under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Muhammadu Bello.
KATSINA STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRIES, MINES AND AGRICULTURE
The Waziri of Katsina, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, started participating in Chamber activities way back in 1979 when he joined the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce and Industries (as it was then known) as a representative of Northern Cable Processing and Manufacturing Company Ltd., (NOCACO) where he was then serving as Administrative Manager. When Katsina State was created in 1987, Prof. Sani participated in the formation of its first Chamber. As the State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in 1994, Prof. Sani was asked by the Military Administrator of the State to assist the Commissioner for Commerce and Industries in the formation of a formidable Chamber for the State. In 2003, Katsina State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture was incorporated as a Non-Governmental Organisation under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990. The Waziri was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber in that year and is still serving in that capacity.
KATSINA ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY (AL-QALAM UNIVERSITY)
The idea of establishing an Islamic University in Nigeria was conceived immediately after the commissioning ceremony of the Islamic University in Niger Republic established by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1987. Since then, Nigerian Muslims kept on discussing the possibility of establishing a Community Islamic University in the country, but not very much was practically done.
On Sunday 1st August 1999 the first meeting to discuss the Islamic University issue was held at Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga’s residence, Gidan Lugga, Kofar Marusa Road, Katsina, between the hours of 10am and 12noon. Those in attendance decided to constitute themselves into a group of Promoters for the Islamic University project. They were to operate under an Islamic organisation named “Katsina Islamic Foundation”. On Saturday 21st August 1999, those proposed to serve as the Trustees of Katsina Islamic Foundation, with late Grand Qadi Usman Muhammad Daura as Chairman and Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga as Secretary General, held their first meeting at Gidan Lugga, Katsina. At that meeting, an agreement was reached to travel to Abuja for the submission of application forms to the Corporate Affairs Commission for the incorporation of the Foundation, under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.
Katsina Islamic Foundation was registered on the 28th day of September 1999 with the Corporate Affairs Commission at Abuja, the Nigeria’s Federal Capital. It was issued with a Certificate of Registration No. RC:12,318. With Katsina Islamic Foundation duly registered, application forms for the establishment of Katsina Islamic University were obtained, filled and submitted to the National Universities’ Commission (NUC) in Abuja on 16th March 2003 seeking for the University’s registration as a Non-Governmental Private University under section 19 of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Amendment Act, No. 9 of 1993. Subsequently, 676 (six hundred and seventy six) sets of documents were submitted to the NUC, as required for the registration of Katsina Islamic University.
Katsina State Government allocated land covering 246 hectares (608 acres) for this laudable project in the name of Katsina Islamic Foundation on 3rd November, 1999. Construction work commenced on 10th November 1999 at the site which is located in the area reserved for Higher Institutions of Learning in Katsina. In order to solicit for funds from the Muslim Community, Katsina Islamic University Project Appeal Fund Launching Ceremony took place at the University site on Saturday, 26th October, 2002. Gratitude is due to Allah (SWT) for the very successful launching ceremony. It was in appreciation of the dynamic roles played by Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga in the service of humanity and particularly in the formation of the Islamic University, that His Royal Highness, the late Emir of Katsina, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Kabir Usman, CFR announced his appointment as the Waziri of Katsina at that august occasion!
After over two years of toiling, the Federal Government granted a Licence to Katsina Islamic Foundation to commence academic activities at what was officially registered as “Katsina University” on Friday, the 27th day of Zhul Qida 1425 Hijrah (7th January 2005). No reason was given by the Authorities as to why the word “Islamic” (that featured in all the 676 documents submitted to the NUC and in the Memo submitted to the Federal Executive Council by the Minister for Education) disappeared from the final name of the University. The University is the first Community Islamic University in Nigeria, the first Private University in the North West Zone of Nigeria and the first University in Katsina State.
The Secretary General of Katsina Islamic Foundation, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, the 5th Waziri of Katsina, laboured with the support of some dedicated Trustees and Members of Katsina Islamic Foundation to see to the formation of this great Islamic edifice. After its registration in 2005, the Katsina State Government attempted to take over the University and convert it into a State Government owned one. The Waziri and his colleagues on Katsina Islamic Foundation Board wrote to the State Government Committee set up for the purpose that the State Government cannot take over the University due to legal and moral implications, which were fully explained in the letter.
The State Government later abandoned the take-over move and decided to establish a separate State owned University. Katsina Islamic University therefore “gave birth” to the Katsina State owned Umaru Musa Yar’adua University! Katsina Islamic University, that was said (by critics) to be impossible to establish with “bara” (begging) today serves as a source of education for thousands of students and a source of income for thousands of staff and their families. Alhamdu lil Lah; the Waziri of Katsina, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, had not only toiled to establish the University, but he was a Senior Lecturer there for several years without receiving any salary or allowances. His reward, he always says, is with Allah (SWT).