ICON @ 82: Senator Dalhatu Sarki Tafida

It was on 24th November 1940, exactly 82 years ago, that almighty Allah blessed the family of Malam Garba Tafida and Malama Badariyyatu Tafida with a male child who was named Dalhatu. That child is now Distinguished Senator (Dr) Dalhatu Sarki Tafida who was at various times personal physician to Nigeria’s former President, late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, commissioner in Kaduna State, Minister of Health, Majority Leader in the Senate and Nigeria’s High Commissioner in the United Kingdom.

As is the practice in the Hausa/Muslim northern communities, Tafida started Quranic school at a tender age before he was enrolled into Town Primary School 11 in 1947 which he completed in 1951.

One may wonder how it was seamless for him to attend secular school, judging from the abhorrence with which the system was then viewed by the society. The reason was that Tafida came from a literati family that accorded primacy to both secular and Islamic scholarship. His father, Mallam Garba, was one of the early civil servants that served in the colonial Native Authority  administration and even served as a District Scribe which was equivalent to the present-day Permanent Secretary.

He secured admission into Barewa College Zaria (1954-1959) and later went to Government College Keffi (1960-1961) for his West African Schools Certificate Examinations and Higher School Certificate, respectively. The elder statesman is a product of University of the Lagos College of Medicine (1962-1967) from where he graduated with MBBS and   in furtherance of his academic pursuit, Tafida attended University of Liverpool in England and Johns Hopkins University in the United States of America where he acquired some other degrees in medical sciences.

It was this academic prowess that made his absorption into the Kaduna State Ministry of Health where he began as a Senior Registrar very easy. He served in many capacities and capped his civil service career with the position of permanent secretary that he eventually occupied; an accomplishment that endeared him to late President Shagari who appointed him as his personal physician in 1980.

Even after the military take-over of power in 1983 Tafida was again beckoned to serve in the military government of Kaduna State under  Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (Retired). He was one of the engine rooms of the administration in which he, between 1984 and 1987,  served as a commissioner in three ministries–health, agriculture and education.

Therefore, Tafida was put on a familiar terrain when he was appointed as the Minister of Health by the late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha. While there, (1993-1995) he introduced many reforms thereby leaving behind indelible marks in the health sector.

When it comes to the issue of traditional institution, Tafida was not left out as he contributed immensely to the development of the Zazzau Emirate to the admiration of late Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris of blessed memory who conferred on him the prestigious title of Tafidan Zazzau, which is one of the very senior positions in the Zazzau monarchical hierarchy  historically reserved for distinguished sons of the emirate. Being untiring and unrelenting, he also served as the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

It was least expected that Tafida could be compatible with the political dynamics characterized by deception, treachery and lack of principles. He proved the doubting Thomases wrong by co-habiting with politicians of all hues with his integrity intact even as he contested, in 1991, for the  governorship of Kaduna State on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), which was one of the two parties that was formed by the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida; the other party being the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The return of party politics in 1998 afforded Tafida another opportunity to prove his mettle once again. As a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) he contested for Kaduna North Senatorial seat and won in 1999, re-elected in 2003 and even became the Senate Leader. His last, but not the least, assignment was his posting to the United Kingdom as the Nigeria’s High Commissioner where he stayed for eight years during which he served meritoriously in recognition of which a hall in the commission was named him.

It is worthy of note that Tafida is a role model who bequeathed a legacy of integrity and selfless service wherever he served. He played his politics with sanity that politicians conferred on him the ssobriquet–“Adade Anayi Sai Gaskiya”–meaning “Truth is constant,”

Ambassador (Dr) Dalhatu Sarki Tafida’s life has been a blessed one from which humanity has enormously benefited. This is the reason for all the prayers for more blessings for him as he continues to enjoy his life in retirement.

– Buba is former Nigeria’s Ambassador in Senegal and later North Korea.