BRIEF HISTORY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS , THE EMIR OF GUMMI ALH ALIYU ISAH (MON) EMIR OF GUMMI

THE BIOGRAPHY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE EMIR OF GUMMI
ALHAJI ALIYU ISAH GUMMI (MON), CHAIRMAN GUMMI EMIRATE COUNCIL, ZAMFARA STATE.
His royal highness the Emir of Gummi Alhaji Aliyu Isah Gummi (MON), was born in Gummi in 1925 by M. Tudu Rafi Isah Gummi, the Son of Sarkin Mafaran Gummi Muhammadu Andi, son of sarkin mafaran Gummi Abdullahi Laje, son of sarkin mafaran Gummi Ummarun Dan aisha, son of sarkin mafaran GummiAdamu Bawan Yari, son of sarkin mafaran Gummi Muhammadu waru, who was the founder and first sarkin Gummi installed by shehu Usman danfodio in 1782. His royal highness Alhaji Aliyu Isah Gummi is 84 years old presently.
HIS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
His royal Highness the Emir of Gummi Alhaji Aliyu Isah Gummi obtained Qur’anic and western education and attended schools and collages as fallows:-
Dogon Daji Elementary school in the year 1931-1934
Sokoto middle school from 1935-1939
Bauchi Teachers Collage from 1940-1943 where he obtained his Grade III certificate.
Sokoto Teachers Collage (TISEP) from 1967-1969 for his Grade II Teachers certificate.
HIS FAMOUS FRIENDS WHILE IN SCHOOL
His royal highness the Emir of Gummi Alhaji Aliyu Isah (MON) during his studies at various school an collages does many friends or class mate at both middle and elementary schools. Among the famous one are:-
Alh. Ibrahim Dasuki CON, the 18th sultan if Sokoto.
Alh. Shehu Aliyu Shagari (Turakin Sokoto) Former President in the 2nd republic.
Alhaji Sani Bakura (Father of Sen. Ahmed Sani (yariman Bakura Sardaunan Zamfara) former Zamfara state Governor.
Late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gummi ( a renowned Islamic preacher in the country). His royal highness the emir of Gummi taught in many places in Nigeria, among his pupil during his teaching career at Anka Elementary school were:-
Mal. Lawali Ahmed Anka( Late sarkin Anka and the father of present Emir of Anka Alh. Attahiru Ahmed Anka (CON) Chairman zamfara state council of chiefs).
Alh. Abubakar Anka I (sarkin Alhazzai of Zamfara).
LIFE IN CIVIL SERVICE
HRH the Emir of Gummi Alh. Aliyu Isah Gummi MON, taught in Anka elementary school as a teacher for 3 years from 1943 to 1945, and Gummi Elementary school for one year from 1946 to 1947. He was posted to Dange Elementary School (now in Sokoto) as assistant head Teacher from 1948 to 1949 and was transferred back to Gummi Elementary school as the rank of Head Master and serve for twenty one years(21yrs) from 1950 to 1971.
HRH the Emir of Gummi Alh. Aliyu Isah MON was elected as first Chairman Gummi Local Government in the year 1977 to 1979. He was also elected as member National assembly Lagos from 1st October 1979 to 31st December 1982 under defunct party of National party of Nigeria (NPN).
His royal Highness the Emir of Gummi was installed as the district Head of Gummi "Sarkin Mafaran Gummi", in the year 1983, the title of which he was holding until 25-07-1997 when the Zamfara State Military administrator colonel Jibril Bala yakubu announced the establishment of the state council of chiefs and the title refers to as Emir of Gummi(" Sarkin Gummi"). HRH the Emir has been appointed as 2nd class Emir also the chairman Gummi Emirate council on 25-07-1997.
However His Royal Highness the emir of Gummi Alh. Aliyu Isah MON has been upgraded to the rank of first class emir on 27-05-2003, by His Excellency the executive Governor of Zamfara State. Alh. Ahmed sani Yariman Bakura Sardaunan Zamfara.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ZAMFARA STATE

The Area today called Zamfara state was one of the old Hausa city-states like Kano, Katsina, Gobir, Kabi and Zazzau. It extends up to the bend of River Rima to the north west and River Ka in the south west. Zamfara Kingdom was established in the 11th century and flourished up to 16th century as a city-state. Its capital has shifted with the fortunes of the kingdom from place to place like Dutsi and Birnin Zamfara. In the first half of the 18th century, its then capital Birnin Zamfara, was destroyed by the Gobir Kingdom and a new capital was established in Anka by the second half of the 19th century. Zamfara had many centers of commerce and scholarship that attracted many scholars like the Yandoto city. It became part of the Sokoto Caliphate after the 1804 jihad by Usman dan Fodio. In fact, Usman Danfodiyo settled in Sabon Gari where Sarkin Zamfara Abarshi had already established a garrison headquarters during the early days of his Jihad as a base from where fought Gobir and Kabi.
At the wake of British colonialism, the emerging town of Gusau became an important commercial and administrative center with road and rail networks passing through it. With the creation of States during the Gowon Administration, Zamfara Kingdom became part of the then North West State and latter Sokoto State.

HISTORY OF ZAMFARA STATE

Introduction

Zamfara State is one of the States created on 1st October 1996 by General Sani Abacha, GCON, Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The State got its name from Zamfarawa, the traditional appellation by which the people of Anka, a town which had been the Headquarters of Zamfara Empire from ancient times had been called for ages. The creation of the State ended decades of unrelenting and tortuous agitation.

Historical Background
Zamfara Kingdom was from the 15th Century one of the Kingdoms that made up the old Sokoto caliphate. The Kingdom extended from the River Rima Bend in the North down to River Ka in the South – West. By the first decade of the 16th Century Zamfara Kingdom had become a flourishing dynasty operating under the Sarauta System of Sarikin Zamfara. Its first capital was Sutsi. Many Kings and a Queen reigned at Dutsi. They included Bakurukuru; Dakka; Kakai – kakai; Dudufaru; Jatau and Queen Yargoji. Queen Yargoje ascended the throne in 1310 and reigned till 1350. She relocated the capital of the Kingdom from Dutsi to a more tragically defendable area at Kuyambana, a thickly forested zone to the South – West. This zone is today believed to be somewhere in Dansadau.

Yargoje was a very powerful ruler and her reign ushered in an era of peace and progress to the Kingdom. The remains of that dynasty is today a today a tourist attraction while her famous lamp, the Yargoje Lamp, is one of the prominent artifacts in the Sokoto State History Bureau Museum. Her immediate successor moved the capital once again to Birnin Zamfara.

However, this powerful Kingdom collapsed when its capital, Birnin Zamfara was destroyed by the forces of Gobirawa in the second half of the 18th Century. This led to yet another relocation of the capital Southwards. It was temporarily based at different times at Kiyawa, Morai, Sabon-Gari and finally settled at Anka where a new permanent capital was built in the second half of the 19th century.

Before the Jihad, Zamfara Kingdom was a power that was reckoned with in the socio-geopolitical setting of the era in Hausa land. When the Jihad broke out in 1840, Zamfara became the base from which the Jihadist launched campaigns against both Gobir and Kebbi. The security available in Zamfara enhanced its significance and strategic importance in the appreciation of the Jihadist leader, Sheikh Shehu Usman Dan-Fodio (of blessed memory).
So when he decided to escape from the constant harassment of Kebbi and Gobir, it was to Zamfara territory that he came with his followers. He moved to Sabon – Gari where Sarkin Zamfara Abarshi had already established a Garrison Headquarters. (Sabon – Gari is in present day Bakura District, Bakura local Government).

Inside the territory of Zamfara Empire of that period there were also in residence other tribes and ethnic settlements scattered all over the Empire, especially in Zurmi; Bungudu; jabaka (Maku District)and Jangeru (Isa Local Government); Katsinawa around the eastern border at Yandoto (Gusau District); Kotorkoshi, Kuhambana and Burmawa in Bakura District. These ethnic groups settled alongside the Zamfarawa and with time interacted freely and even inter-married.

After the Jihad, some key lieutenants of Sheikh Shehu Usman Dan-Fodio were appointed to administer parts of the Kingdom and were given pleni-potentiary powers. The Alibawa Clan Head (Abu Hamid) was appointed as Sarkin Zamfara. He was deployed to Zurmi; Mallam Sambo Dan Ashafa as Sarkin Katsinan Gusau; ibrahim Dan Zundumi as the Srikin Fulani Bungudu; namoda as Sarkin Kiya wa based at Kaura namoda while the title of Bango was conferred on Dadi, an Adar Fulani residing in Maru.

During the colonial era and even after independence in 1960, Zamfara was still regarded as semi-autonomous by successive governments. This was why an assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) was stationed at Gusau to take charge of the Sub-Treasury and other Administrative Zonal Offices established in the town. Even the Sokoto Native Authority established Native Authority Branch offices to supervise the administration of the Zone, Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto and First Premier of the defunct Northern Region was deployed to Gusau in 1938 to head and supervise all the Native Administration Branch offices in Gusau.

DO YOU KNOW ZAMFARA: A STATE IN NIGERIA?

Zamfara State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Gusau and its Governor is Mahmud Shinkafi, a former member of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), now a member the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Until 1996 the area was part of Sokoto State. Zamfara State was the first in Nigeria to introduce the Sharia. The area today called Zamfara State was one of the old Hausa City-States like Kano, Katsina, Gobir, Kabi and Zazzau. It extends up to the bend of River Rima to the NorthWest and River Ka in the SouthWest. Zamfara Kingdom came into being in the 11th century and flourished up to 16th century as a City-State. Its capitals have shifted with the fortunes of the kingdom from place to place like Dutsi and Birnin Zamfara. In the first half of the 18th century, its then capital Birnin Zamfara, was destroyed by the Gobir Kingdom and a new capital was established in Anka by the second half of the 19th century. Zamfara has many centres of commerce and scholarship that attracted many scholars like the ‘Yandoto city. It became part of the Sakkwato Caliphate after the 1804 Jihad by Usman Danfodiyo. In fact, Usman Danfodiyo settled in Sabon Gari where Sarkin Zamfara Abarshi had already established a garrison headquarters during the early days of his Jihad as a base from where fought Gobir and Kabi. Zamfara is peopled by Hausa and Fulani peoples. Major groups of people include the Zamfarawa mainly peopling Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum and Talata Mafara Local Governments areas. Gobirawa peopled Shinkafi Local Government. Gobirawa actually migrated from the Gobir Kingdom. Burmawa are found in Bakura and Fulani peopled Bungudu, Maradun, Gusau and are scattered all over the State. In Tsafe, Bungudu and Maru Local Governments are mainly Katsinawa, Garewawa and Hadejawa. While Alibawa peopled Kaura Namoda and Zurmi.

GEOGRAPHY

LOCATION

Zamfara state has 14 local governments. It covers a land area of 38,414 square kilometers. It has Sokoto state to the North, Kebbi and Niger states to th west, Katsina to the east and Kaduna to the south.

RAIN FALL

The average amount of rain fall in the area fluctuates between 36 and 80 millimeters in a year.

RIVERS

There are four major rivers in the state namely: Ka, Bunsuru, Gagare and Zamfara.

LAKES

There are several lakes in zamfara: The most famouis one sare Dangulbi (Kakale) and Bakura (Natu). Smaller ones include Saru (Gummi) and Jena (Zurmi)

CLIMATE

a)     Dry seasons including Whirl Wind  – November to May

b)    Rainy season June to October

GEOLOGY

Zamfara is part of the geological belt of pre Cambrian age, formed as a result of metamorphosis and igneous activities. The granite parts come in to groups: The younger and the older. The older granites are more wide spread. They form smooth rounded hills which characterized the landscape of the basement complex area; the hills occasionally rise up to 200 meters. A good example is found in Kotorkoshi and Tsafe. The younger granite which is of Jurassic age intrudes into the basement complex in the plateau areas as in Yandoto. There are tertiary sediments which have resulted in limestone, clay, graphite, stone and coal.

VEGETATION

The vegetation is a hybrid of southern Sudan and northern Guinea savannah.

POPULATION

The population was estimated at 2,231,402 people (1991 census)

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Zamfara state is endowed with a good number of tourist attractiobns: they include Kuyambana game reserve, Dajin Rugu; Bakalori Dam; Dangulbi pound (Kakale); Ruwan Kaiwa; Rumu; Surguma; ChilbinKaya; Serakkaera where crocodiles reside; Forest Reserve at Dowan Jiya; Bagega and Wuya where Elephant, Lion, Hyena, Tigers, Gorillas and Hippopotami take shelter, cultural historic sites like Kotarkoshi Rock; Baura and Kyauka cultural festivals in Kotarkoshi and Kanioma; Namoda tomb in Kaura Namoda, Rivers Ka and Zamfara in Anka; Ganuwa city wall at Kiyawa ; Kanoma Hills and Shamushalle Elephants grazing reserved.