By Mu’azu Abari
The prayer and dream of all responsible parents is to live an exemplary life worthy of emulation and to give birth to responsible and Godly children that will maintain the family’s reputation; children that will bring honour, respect and dignity not only to the family but the entire society.
For the family of late Alhaji Umaru Yakubu from the ancient town of Azara, Awe local government area of Nasarawa state, this prayer was answered on January 5,1975, when the family campound was filled to capacity with people from all walks of life to rejoice with this reputable family on the birth of a blessed and promising child named Gambo Umaru Yakubu.
Few years later, this God given child from a humble and highly respected family began to manifest virtues of simplicity, humility, obedience, tolerance, perseverance, love for humanity and determination to preserve the good family name and make his people proud.
Five years later, young Gambo was enrolled into Sabon Gida primary school in the present Assakio development area where he exhibited strong commitment and passion for academic excellence, leading to his success at the common entrance examinations which earned him admission into Government Science School, Lafia.
This brilliant performance and other inherent qualities demonstrated by this brilliant child prompted men of wisdom and foresight to foretell that young Gambo possesses stirling qualities of good leadership that will bring honour, dignity and pride to his parents and become the emancipator of his people in the near future.
True to this prediction, Gambo became a young, determined, focused and talented young man full of energy and zeal. He combines intellect and physical strenth in his commitment to reach the apex of his academic dream and make the sky his starting point rather than his limits.
The young and intelligent Gambo proceeded to the University of Jos for his degree programme which moulded him into a full grown young enterprising man filled with burning desire to make a mark in the sands of time. He served in various places and capacities with high level of honesty, sincerity, dedication and fear of God. This endeared him to many people who see in him a dependable and trusted ally in the service of humanity.
Speaking on humanity, the ancient philosopher, William Penn, asserted that “God sent us the poor to try us and he that refuses them a little part of the great deal that God has given lays up poverty in future for his posterity”. Similarly, John Wesley said, “Do all you can by all the means you can in all the ways you can. At all times you can. To all the people you can as you ever can”. On his part, Confucious added “when wealth is centralised the people are dispersed but when wealth is distributed the people are brought together’.
These philosophers seem to have Nasarawa state in mind as their assertions do not only capture the political mood of the state but rightly exemplify and summarise the life, character and antecedents of one of the most patrotic and illustrious sons of Nasarawa state, Alhaju Gambo Umaru Yakubu. Gambo deploys his hard earned wealth to the service of God, humanity and the entire people of Nasarawa state at a time most privileged individuals are more concerned with taking from them
Gambo Umaru
symbolises generational change in Nasarawa politics and subtle efforts by the youths to take their destiny in their hands and break all elitist barriers that relegated them to the background in the socio-economic and political affairs of their society in their determination to redefine governance and make their own history and have their names boldly written on the pages of history.
He is a visionary, focused and determined young man; entrepreneurial, philanthropic and accomplished business man with business connections, conglomerates and tentacles within and outside the country, especially in the oil and gas sector. Gambo reached the apex of his career by a dint of hard work, resilience, dedication and commitment. He achieved greatness and inspired others in his determination to positively touch the lives of his people and impact on his society.
His generosity, magnanimity, patriotism and immense contributions to the development of communities, the common man and his people know no bound. This made Gambo a gold fish that has no hiding place as the search for credible leadership in Nasarawa state intensifies ahead the 2023 general elections. Groups, individuals and organisations are mounting pressure on him to take up the challenge of bequeathing a better future for the state by taking a shot at Government House Lafia come 2023.
In Gambo’s 47 years sojourn on earth, most of which he spent in the private sector as an entrepreneur, he has carved a niche for himself as a beckon of hope for his people and a shoulder to lean on, especially in terms of needs and troubles.
The Santalin Lafia has provided employment opportunities to many youths of Nasarawa state in both public and private sectors. He has provided financial supports to youths and the downtrodden in the state to enable them grow businesses and be useful to themselves and the society.This he does by engaging and training others towards reducing poverty and unemployment.
In the area of education, he has build schools for orphans and children of less privileged in his community of Azara in line with his conviction to give back to the society from primary to secondary schools. In addition to providing scholarship to different categories of citizens as well as payment of WAEC, NECO and other examination fees, Gambo also distributed 50,000 exercise books to schools across Nasaraw west with each of the five local governments in the zone receiving 10,000 each.
He also distributed 50,000 exercise books to schools in southern zone which also has five local governments bringing the total numbers of exercise books distributed so far to 100,000 with Nasarawa North waiting for its turn. it’s also on record he has supported in community development, infrastructure, boreholes in various communities acros the length and breadth of the state with the aim of tackling perennial water shortages, among many other intervations.
The health sector of the state also benefited from his magnanimity. Aside off setting the medical bills of the less privileged, he constituted a medical team he pays N4 million monthly to carry out free medical outreach in the three senetorial districts of the state. Santalin Lafia also supported religious organisations, renovated and constructed worship centres across the three senetirial districts of the state, a gesture that continues to endear to the people including women and children.
Gambo radiates confidence and epitomises a new hope in the collective aspirations of the people of Nasarawa state to have a brighter future for the socio-economic wellbeing of the state. Thus, his resolute, resilient and remarkable determination to the cause of democracy and accountable leadership stand him out as the messiah Nasarawa state needs in 2023 to realise the dreams of its founding fathers.
It is therefore not surprising that the people of the state continue to mount pressure on him to replace Governor Abdullahi Sule come 2023. They believe that his enviable records of achievements and virtues of honesty, patriotism and contributions to the development of the state, among many other attributes of good leadership, make him a better choice for the people of Nasarawa come 2023.
Abari writes via muazuabari@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
