BELLO: CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF A QUINTESSENTIAL TRADITIONAL RULER ON THE THRONE AS KANWAN KATSINA 111AND KETARE DISTRICT HEAD

Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara ‘mni’

BY GODWIN OBI

Thursday, 4th November 2021, will undoubtedly remain fresh in the minds of people of Ketare District, in Kankara LGA of Katsina State because of its significance in the rich history of the community. It was the day their compassionate traditional leader, a retired Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara ‘mni’, marked twenty one years on the throne as the KANWAN KATSINA III, District Head of Ketare.

It was neighbouring Kankara District and the entire families of Iya Nadabo family as one of their own celebrated 21 years of excellent service to humanity and as a royal father of great repute.

It is indeed against this background that one felt compelled to pen a tribute in honour of this bridge builder an extraordinary person that is making the difference as he pilots the affairs of Ketare Districts for over two decades with remarkable success.

His unquantifiable achievements as District Head over this period were a result of his love for his people, compassion, sound education, exposure and a great wealth of experience as a public servant before ascending to the throne in 2000. Although some of these qualities were common among the Kanwan Katsina family, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni, was exceptionally gifted since childhood.

It was not a surprise when their father died, the late Abdullahi Bello Kankara, Kanwan Katsina II, the natural choice for the heavenly throne was Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni, even though he was a very senior serving Nigerian Customs Service officer at that time. It is therefore imperative to pay glowing tributes to the late Emir of Katsina, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Kabir Usman CFR, for his wisdom and foresight in appointing and turbanning Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni, (UK Bello as he was popularly known then), as the Kanwan Katsina III and District Head of Ketare on 4th November 2000.

The late Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman was magnanimous enough to allow UK Bello to continue to remain in service despite holding the traditional title of Kanwan Katsina. The late Emir of Katsina reasoned that, if the new Kanwan Katsina were to leave the public service then, it would truncate his career and deprive the nation of his excellent service as a sterling customs senior officer whose immense contribution to stemming the tide of smuggling, insecurity and above getting billions of revenue was affirmed to. Indeed, this singular decision by the Late Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman of blessed memory turned out to be a blessing as it enables UK Bello, to continue to rise through the ranks and at the end retired as Comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service. 2017, after meritorious service to the nation and reaching the mandatory retirement age.

Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni was born to the Royal Family of Kanwan Katsina II, the legendary late Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Nadabo on 1st  September 1957 in Kankara, Katsina State. He attended the Central Primary School Kankara between 1963 to1969, from where he proceeded to the Government Secondary School Malumfashi between 1970-1974. He had a brief stint at Federal Radio Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna as a news reporter in 1975 before proceeding for his higher education.

This experience and further knowledge came handy in later parts of his life and career when he joined the Nigerian Customs Service and was made Public Relations Officer (PRO). It helped him discharge his duties as PRO of the Customs efficiently and effectively.

Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara ‘mni’

With A-Levels obtained at Katsina College of Arts and Science Zaria, he left FRCN Kaduna, and proceeded to the famous Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, (ABU) where he obtained a B.Sc in Political Science in 1981.

He did his mandatory National Youth Service at Oshimili LGA,  Asaba, in the then Bendel State.  While on the NYSC, he was also the Liaison Officer (CLO) there for his set.

No sooner than he completed the mandatory youth service, the zeal to serve his nation made him enlist into the Nigerian Customs Service as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of customs in 1982. After his training he was a posted to Borno State Command, where he began his very eventful career as a Customs Officer. While at the Command, he served as Deputy Superintendent of Customs up to 1985 and later as Officer in charge of Baga Station. He introduced and imposed an essential Duty on imported Smoked Fish from the Chad Republic. It is to his credit that up till now the Customs duty on imported smoked fish remains one of the sources of revenue to the Federal Government of Nigeria through Borno State Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service.

Apart from that, the then dashing Custom Officer, Kanwan made a lot of friends among the good people of Borno State, the military and other sister security agencies. Kanwan Katsina III rose steadily and progressively in the Nigerian Customs Service and attained the

enviable rank of Comptroller of Customs in 2009. During the career, UK Bello had served in various Commands, Units and Departments of the Nigerian Customs Service where he made significant contributions to the repositioning of the service for adequate security and revenue generation.

Impressed with his interpersonal relationship and communication skills, while at the Tin Can Island Ports, Lagos, Bello was appointed Customs spokesman, an assignment which he discharged effectively and diligently. He projected an excellent image of the Customs, and this earned him an award by the Comptroller General of Customs in 1999.

Additionally, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara ‘mni’ while in service, headed many State Commands of the Customs. These included Kano, Jigawa and Federal Capital Territory Commands (FCT) commands at various points in time. Others were Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara. He was also in charge of the Eastern Marine Command, Port Harcourt, which covers Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Cross-river and Akwa-Ibom State and retired from the Command after an impressive career as Customs Officer serving the nation at Federal Level for 35 years meritoriously in 2017.

During his service in Customs, he attended various courses both locally and internationally. Such courses were the world Customs Organization (WCO) course on Valuation and post Clearance Audit in Brussels, Belgium, Course on Good Governance, Leadership, Accountability and Ethics in the United States of America and one year course at National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, where he earned the prestigious award of Membership of the National Institute (mni).

Upon his retirement from the Nigerian Customs Service in 2017, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni resumed fully as KANKWAN KATSINA III District head of Ketare in Katsina Emirate Council, and since then, has contributed immensely to the well being and development of Ketare District in the Areas of Education, Health, Agriculture, Social Development and ICT just to mention a few. The District Head has continued to demonstrate love, passion and care for his people in different ways. As earlier noted, he had a sound upbringing; therefore, through the application of the good qualities, traits and lessons he gained from his late father, the numerous leadership trainings obtained in the course of his career in the Nigerian Customs Service, he impacted positively on the society far beyond expectations.

Kanwan Katsina 111 has been a dependable pillar of support to his people of Ketare District. From 2017 to date, he has made  immense contributions to his community in the fields of education, provision of healthcare, environment, agriculture, youth empowerment and Information, Communication and Technology, just to mention a few.

Kanwan Katsina 111

In education, for instance, the intervention of Kanwan Katsina the 3rd has led to the successful establishment and take-off of community Day Schools at Ketare, KukaSheka, Pauwa, Tudu, Ganzamawa Gundawa, Tsamiyar Jino and Katoge through communal efforts. Similarly, the Ketare District witnessed the construction of UK Bello Primary School at Ganzamawa village, construction of additional classes at Pauwa and Tsamiyar Jino community day secondary schools, due to increased enrollment. And to provide ICT knowledge to teeming youths in the area, Kanwan Katsina has sponsored Computer training for over 300 youths from Ketare district. While the training was sustained in phases as a result of which now students find it easier to register for JAMB, NECO, WAEC, and during recruitment exercise for employment with either Federal, State or Local Governments. That indeed was a commendable initiative.

In the same vein, he has been supportive to the Kankara local government health department in ensuring the success of Polio Immunization, Malnutrition Foods Programme for Pregnant mothers and children as well as all health programmes organised by the State and local governments for the overall benefit of people of Ketare district.

Bello has effectively collaborated with all federal agencies, for instance; it was through that collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission -NIMC  that all eligible persons in Ketare district got registered to obtain the modern National ID Card.

Equally, through such collaboration with INEC Office in Kankara local government, all eligible voters in Ketare District were registered and got their Permanent voters card, that always manifested on election days due to voters turn out.

Kanwan Katsina iii also liaised with renowned agencies, department and boards like WACOT, CASSAVA Growers Association, the CBN, CSDP and RUWASSA for the benefit of the Ketare people.

Bello also synthesized unique roles in the Intervention programme on the eradication of Open defecation, Economic Empowerment, the SDGs, State Education Trust Fund (ETF), the Gidauniyar Jihar Katsina, the NYSC, the NPC for birth and death registration in Ketare district. No wonder, UK Bello ‘mni’, the Kanwan Katsina the 3rd, has gained dozens of merit awards and certificates of excellence, while in active public service and as a traditional ruler. He is a recipient of so many awards both while in public service and as a traditional ruler. In the year 2000, the Katsina State Government commended him for making the State Proud in the discharge of his duties at the federal level. Prominent among other awards, letters of Commendation and appreciations were the ones received from the NYSC in 2019, the National Population Commission in 2018, and the one from the office of Secretary to the Katsina State Government in 2008.

Also in 1999, UK Bello got the best all-round officers award from the Nigeria Customs Service, another one as Best Area Command Tin Can Island Lagos, and a certificate of merit in 1999 as the best Public Relations Officer of Nigerian Customs

To crown it all, the Kanwan Katsina the third, Alhaji UK Belle Kankara, obtained the prestigious elite institute membership certificate from the famous National Institute of Policies and Strategies Study -NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State.

And added to this, was the leadership training he got from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs University of Pittsburgh and the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership.

Certainly, UK Bello ‘mn’i is indeed a man of all fronts and fully prepared in the service of his community, the State and the country at large in his present capacity as Kanwan Katsina the third, district head of Ketare in Kankara local government.

Therefore, as Kanwan Katsina the third clocked twenty years on the throne as the District Head of Ketare, we join the teeming people in congratulating Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni, for the unquantifiable achievements as he attained 21 years on the throne.

It is our prayer that Almighty Allah will continue to be his guide, and to provide peace and security in communities in Ketare District, Katsina State and the nation at large, Amen.

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