Gone, yet evergreen in our memories: Tribute to Abdul-Ganiyu Abdul-Razaq

 BY BASHIR ADIGUN

 The late Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Folorunsho Abdul-Razaq , popularly known as AGF, was the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria

Baba AGF Abdul-Razaq, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Life Bencher, Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, Grande Officer De La Ordre National Cote D’Ivoire

A foremost Lawyer, Teacher, Politician, a humanist, philanthropist and above all, a Nigerian who love his people.

The Tafida of Zazzau and Mutawalin Ilorin was a man of many first, not only in the North but the whole of Nigeria.

Baba Abdul-Razaq, the first child of his parent, was the first indigene of Ilorin emirate and Northern Nigeria to have acquired early education in Igbo land and South-South Nigeria at both primary and secondary school levels

He was also the first Ilorin indigene to gain admission for university education in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom and the first northern Nigerian to qualify as a lawyer and Barrister-at-law.

He was the first Ilorin Indigene to be appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to a foreign land, first to be a federal Minister and the pioneer commissioner for Finance and later commissioner for health in Kwara state from 1967-1972.

As the Legal Adviser to the Northern People’s Congress, Baba AGF was a member of the 1957 London constitutional conference where he exhibited brilliance to the surprise of older delegates at the conference.

He played a major role at the conference and commission of inquiry which was later set up to ensure that Ilorin and Kabba province remain part of Northern Nigeria.

As the Legal Adviser to the Northern People’s Congress, Baba AGF was a member of the 1957 London constitutional conference where he exhibited brilliance to the surprise of older delegates at the conference.

He played a major role at the conference and commission of enquiry which was later set up to ensure that Ilorin and Kabba province remain part of Northern Nigeria.

According to an elder statesman and most read contemporary author on the history of Ilorin emirate, Alhaji L.A.K JImoh,  Alhaji AGF Abdul-Razaq’s leading contributions in the creation of Kwara State and his inestimable legal victory for all traditional rulers and chieftaincy title holders to be turbaned like the rest of the North, retention of land resources by what is today Ilorin emirate and his singular establishment of the then Ilorin College now Government High School Adeta as the first individual Private school in the state made the late AGF Abdul-Razaq a leading reference in patriotism to the younger generation in the Ilorin emirate and the state in general.

Sharing the same view, another statesman and a leader of the progressives in the fight for liberation of Kwara state in the last four decades, Chief Wole Oke described Baba AGF Abdul- Razaq as the leading contributor, inspirator and supporter for the creation of Moro and Asa Local Government Areas, over three decades ago, a time that overwhelming majority of the elites in the polity could not see the benefits for the creation of the two local governments

There is no doubt that the late Mutawali of Ilorin has left indelible footprints on all areas of human endeavors in Nigeria. He has lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation not only by the people he left behind in his family but for all young Nigerians who aspire to live an exemplary life.

The Tafida Zazzau is gone but he would remain evergreen in our memories

May the Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Firdous and comfort all those he left behind. ( Amin)

Bashir Adigun is a journalist. He writes from Abuja