Malam Ahmad Mahmud Sa’adu Zungur (1915-1958) who hailed from Bauchi was a poet, Islamic scholar, progressive politician, and emblem of northern Nigeria civilization. He was the first northerner that attended higher educational institution (Yaba College, Lagos). Zungur was son of a sound Islamic scholar, Liman of Bauchi.
Zungur opposed the traditional rulers’ autocracy and British sub-channel system of rule, by creating Bauchi General Improvement Association. He shared the light of modernisation by advocating Western education as only way out of autocratic trauma.
He is a very good ally to the Northern Nigerian freedom fighter Mallam Aminu Kano, and first Nigerian Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Zungur and Balewa had the dream of independent Nigeria. Zungur was among Nigerians nominated to make a historic visit to queen’s palace (England) to demand for independence. Before then Zungur served as class teacher in Kano School of Hygiene (1940) and became the head of the school in 1941. Zungur wrote many pieces of Hausa poetry, his famous poem is “Arewa Jamhuriya ko Mulukiya”, which shaped the reality of northern Nigeria; the poem inspired many northern Nigerian elite on education and politics.
In 1948, Zungur was elected secretary general of National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon, NCNC, under the leadership of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. After a year, Zungur left NCNC and joined NPC, as he believed that NCNC was not interested to improve the North. He worked with Mallam Aminu Kano under his party Northern Elements progressive Union, NEPU.
After his marked struggles, Zungur died of lung cancer two years before the fulfillment of his dream (Nigerian independence). Zungur’s humility and integrity were emulated by many Nigerian political leaders and activists. Many Nigerians refer to Zungur as uncelebrated hero of independence.
63 years after his death, the government of his native state renamed the state university Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi after him.
Renaming the university after this hero is indeed cheering and commendable. I use this medium to extend my gratitude to the executive governor of Bauchi state Sen. Bala Mohammed, Kauran Bauchi, and his commissioner for education, Dr. Aliyu Usman Tilde, for immortalising this hero and keeping his memory alive.
Ali Tijjani Hassan,
Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi
