ABDULRAHEEM AODU looks at the emergence of Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as the choice successor to Alhaji Sheu Idris, the deceased Emir of Zazzau, and urges him to seize the opportunity provided by history to the benefit of all.
Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli is a man of history and could be readily described as one who had prepared himself for leadership in all strata of life.
The choice of the 54-year-old as the new royal father to lead the Zazzau Emirate is one believed to be a product of destiny, giving the circumstances leading to his emergence.
His birth
The man of the moment born by two royalties, arrived the world on the 8th of June 1966 to the family of H.E. Malam Nuhu Bamalli, a former Nigerian foreign minister of the Mallawa dynasty of Zaria.
Ahmed obtained his first degree in law from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Kaduna state in 1989 and a Masters degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the same institution in 2002.
Further to this, Bamalli obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in 1998, and also a fellowship on conflict resolution at the University of York, United Kingdom in 2009.
An alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School where he was trained in general management programme in 2011, Ahmed obtained another diploma in organisational leadership from Oxford University, United Kingdom in 2015.
The new Emir of Zazzau is a Senior Chevening Fellow with about 26 years cognate experience covering banking, public sector, telecommunications, and manufacturing.
Career
Despite studying law, Ahmed’s career path crossed all levels, thus making him as one with vast knowledge in almost all fields. Starting his working career as a banker, he was in 1992 appointed Assistant Manager KMC Nigeria Limited/First Security Discount House (FSDH), a post he held for six years.
He joined FSB International Bank Plc in 1998 as deputy manager, rising through the system to the senior manager grade and later regional manager, public sector in 2006. The lawyer served for one year as Assistant Director, Abuja Metropolitan Management Authority in 2006, leaving the position in 2007.
Further to this, Ahmed worked as the General Manager, Human Resources Management, Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTEL) the mobile arm of the defunct Nigeria Telecommunications for two years between 2007 and 2009.
Ahmed left Mtel to join Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMP) as executive director in charge of corporate services in 2011. The company is charged with the responsibility of printing currency and security documents for Nigeria.
He initially served as executive director and later named the acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer after a year, a post he held for two years.
The banker then took up a post in his state, as Governor Nasir el-Rufai appointed him in 2015 as a commissioner in the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) in charge of finance. He was later deployed to serve as commissioner in charge of four electoral zones in the state. He was KADSIECOM commissioner until his ambassadorial appointment in 2017.
Ambassador Ahmed was appointed the Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand with concurrent accreditation to Myanmar in 2017, a post he held until his recent appointment.
Dual royalty
Ambassador Bamalli was born into two royal families of Zazzau and Sokoto. His grandfather is a former Emir of Zazzau, while he is a direct descendant of Usman Danfodio through his maternal great grandfather, Sultan Aliyu Babba of Sokoto.
The envoy is a direct descendant of Malam Musa Bamalli, the flag bearer and first Fulani Emir of Zazzau who ruled from 1804 to 1821. His father, Nuhu Bamalli, held the position of Magajin Gari (Lord Mayor), which is the second most important princely title in the Zazzau Emirate for 40 years.
Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli acted in the capacity of Magajin Gari, representing his father in public functions for 20 years, before he was officially appointed to the position in 2001 following his father’s demise.
From his mother’s side, he is a direct descendant of the Islamic scholar and founder of the Fulani empire, Usman Danfodio. His mother is the daughter of Abdulrahman Dikko, and the great granddaughter of Sultan Aliyu Babba and Sultan Muhammadu Bello, as well as Shehu Usman Danfodio.
Ahmed, who is the leader of the Mallawa dynasty before his appointment as the Emir of Zazzau, is married to his cousin, Hajiya Mairo A. Bamalli and they are blessed with five children, a boy and four girls.
Appointments
Before now, Ambassador Bamalli held many positions in government, banking sector, entrepreneurship and in the royal circle.
The new Emir of Zazzau Emirate was the President, African Banknote Association 2013 – 2014, he was Chairman, Board of Directors, Tawada Limited (a subsidiary of Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Plc), between November 2012 and 2014.
He was the Director Laurman Limited 2009 – 2010, Director Ryden Oil and Gas 2009 – 2010, Director Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria 2014 – 2015.
He was also a member of the Transition Committee that ushered in Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s administration in Kaduna state in 2015. He was a commissioner in charge of finance in the KADSIEC between 2016 and 2017, a position he held until President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand with concurrent accreditation to Myanmar.
Membership of professional associations
The new Emir of Zazzau is a Fellow Institute of Credit Administration (ICA), he is a member Institute of Directors (MIOD),and also a member Institute of Corporate Administrators (ICAD) and member Institute of Facility Managers (IFM).
With his emergence, observers believe the new monarch should be father to all, notwithstanding the intrigues that trailed his appointment. This was aptly captured by President Muhammadu Buhari in his congratulatory message to the monarch.
He should magnanimously extend the olive branch to all those who were not privileged to occupy the exalted royal seat after the contest. That, it is believed, is the best way to have a unified and progressive Zazzau Emirate amidst a long and peaceful reign under Bamali.
Coming 100 years after his ruling house occupied the seat, the trained n]banked should seize the opportunity history has graciously offered him and move the Zazzau Emirate to the next level.
