Borno Emirate
Borno Emirate | |
|---|---|
  Borno Emirate Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E / 11.833°N 13.150°E | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Borno State |
| Government | |
| • Shehu | Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi of Borno |
The Borno Emirate or Borno Sultanate is a traditional Nigerian state formed at the start of the 20th century. It is headed by descendants of the rulers of the Bornu Empire, founded before 1000. The rulers have the title Shehu of Borno (var. Shehu of Bornu, Sultan of Borno/u). The traditional Emirate of Borno maintains a ceremonial rule of the Kanuri people, based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, but acknowledged by the 4 million Kanuri in neighbouring countries.[1]
The current ruling line, the al-Kanemi dynasty, dates to the accession of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi in the early 19th century, displacing the Sayfawa dynasty which had ruled from around 1300.[2]
History[]
| House of El-Kanemi | |
|---|---|
Nigerian royal dynasty
  The Organa of 1439, quasi-heraldic flag of the rulers of Kanem's successor state, the Borno empire | |
| Parent house | El-Kanemi of Kukawa |
| Current region | North |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Founder | Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi |
| Current head | Abubakar ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi |
| Titles | |
| Style(s) | Royal Highness Highness |
| Members | |
| Traditions | Islam Folk Islam |
| Cadet branches |
|
BIOGRAPHY OF THE SHEHU OF BORNO ALHAJI (DR.) ABUBAKAR IBN UMAR GARBAI AL-AMIN EL-KANEMI (CFR)
His Royal Highness, Shehu (Dr.) Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi (CFR) was born in 1957 in Damagum (present day Yobe State). He bears the name Abubakar because he was named after his grandfather, Shehu Abubakar Garbai Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi (1902-1922), the 16th Shehu of Borno, who is known, respected and always remembered as the founder of Maiduguri as ‘Yerwa’ in 1907. Yerwa is derived from ‘herra’, meaning ‘with potentials for progress.’ And as it is, the convention in Kanuri society of not calling namesakes of one’s parents by their given name (sufulaibe), the young prince was addressed as ‘Abba Kyari’ before his investiture as the 20th Shehu of Borno. ‘Abba’ in Kanuri means ‘prince’ and ‘Kyari’ is derived from ‘cari’ meaning ‘the old’, thus suggesting ‘grandfather’.
Hence Abba Kyari, as he was known in his princely life, started his primary education in Gamboru Junior Primary School Maiduguri, in January 1964. After four years in the school, the young prince was transferred to the prestigious Shehu Garbai Primary School, where he completed his primary education in December 1970, whereupon he proceeded to Government College Maiduguri for his secondary education where he graduated in 1975 and gained admission into the Staff Training Centre, Potiskum (now Institute of Management Studies, Potiskum) and obtained the Intermediate Local Government Certificate, which served as a springboard for his administrative career. In 1978, imbued with the desire to further his education, he proceeded to Kaduna Polytechnic, where he bagged both his Ordinary and Higher National Diplomas in Local Government Administration in 1982. Barely three years later, he took a bolder step and enrolled for Advanced Diploma Course in Local Government Administration at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and successfully completed the course in 1986. Emboldened by this academic success, he sought for and gained admission into the one year Postgraduate Diploma Programme of the University of Maiduguri in 1988 and completed the course on schedule.
With his exposure to the Postgraduate Studies, he gathered no breath and directly enrolled into the Masters Programme in Industrial and Labour Relations in the University of Maiduguri in 1998, and obtained the Degree. And realizing the great potentialities of an administrative career, he also enrolled into the Masters Degree programme in Public Administration (MPA) in the same University where he was awarded the Degree in the year 2000.
The Shehu’s civil service career started in July 1976, when he was appointed Clerical Officer in the Ministry of Local Government. His first promotion in the service was to the post of Assistant Inspector, Local Government Bama Zone. From Bama, he was transferred to Potiskum Zone, in August 1982, where he rose to the rank of Zonal Inspector. In 1983 he was transferred to Gubio-Nganzai Local Government as Special Assistant to the Sole Administration. And in 1984 he was appointed Head of Administration of Konduga Local Government. He also served in the same capacity in Monguno Local Government (1985) and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (1986). In 1988, he was in Konduga Local Government for the first time, but this time as Assistant Secretary. It was in Konduga that the Prince transferred his service to the Unified Local Government Service on 1st December 1988. In the same month he was posted to Fune Local Government as Assistant Secretary I.
He reached the peak of his career in the Local Government Administration in 1989, when he was appointed secretary, Machina/Yusufari Local Government. Two years later (1991), sequel to the politicization of the office of the Local Government Secretary, he was posted to Kaga Local Government as Director of Personnel Management. Following dissolution of elected Local Government Councils nationwide in 1993, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive of the same Local Government (Kaga) and remained in that post till 1994. Upon appointment of Caretaker Management Committees to the Local Governments of Borno State, he was posted to Marte Local Government as Director, Personnel Management. That was in April 1994. In 1996, he served in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and later in Kaga Local Government in the same capacity as Director of Personnel Management. Between 1997 and 2000, he had served in five Local Governments as Secretary (Bama (1997), Dikwa (1998), Kukawa (1999), Bayo (2000) and Ngala (2001)).
He was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, in August 2003, and had also served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Housing. In August 2003 he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. And in December of the same year, he was appointed District Head of Magumeri, the post he held until his appointment as the 20th Shehu of Borno, which was announced on Monday 2nd March, 2009.
During his 90 days in Magumeri as District head, the area witnessed tremendous progress. He demonstrated exceptional concern to all things that affected the people and he promptly drew the attention of the State Governor to issues that required the Governor’s intervention.
During his short stay in Magumeri, the area enjoyed great He peace and witnessed considerable reduction crimes. He achieved this by assembling and enlightening all responsible people from different walks of life in the area. He also paid great attention to constant appeal to Almighty Allah through congregational prayers and alms giving. He mobilized the Ulama of villages and towns to press on them and support them not to relent in raising up to their responsibilities as spiritual guides to the people. The Shehu then and now accorded everyone the respect he or she deserves. This has been amply demonstrated by his conferment of traditional titles to personalities from different walks of in and outside Borno State.
And when he became Shehu of Borno his aspiration for peace and unity of Borno rekindled. He wasted no time in extending a hand of cooperation to the Emirs of Biu, Uba and Askirabe.
His traditional investiture of bayatu took place on Wednesday 4th March, 2009. The Shehu’s seven days in office, as Kanuri culture demands, was commemorated with prayers on Wednesday 11th March, 2009. And on Sunday 31st May 2009, the then Executive Governor of Borno State, Senator (Dr.) Ali Modu Sheriff presented him the Staff of Office in a colourful ceremony attended by thousands of dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria.
The Shehu was awarded the Honorary Degree of Dr. of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Public Administration by the Houdegbe North American University of Benin, Cotonou, on Saturday 13th February 2010. Presenting the award, Chancellor and President of Council, Professor Octave Cossi Houdegbe said the award had the double significance of respect to the traditional institution, and recognition of the personal qualities of the Shehu as promoter of peace and progress.
His Royal Highness is also among the eight distinguished Nigerians on whom the award Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the year 2009 was conferred, an event which took place at the International Conference Centre Abuja on Thursday 22nd July 2010.
Speaking during the occasion, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) pointed out that the Honour was in recognition of illustrious Nigerians who had distinguished themselves in the service of their fatherland. The Shehu has three wives and is blessed with many children.
Rulers[]
Rulers of the Borno Emirate since the beginning of the colonial period with the title of "Shehu":[3][4]
| Start | End | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 1922 | Umar Abubakar Garbai ibn Ibrahim |
| 1922 | 1937 | Sanda Kura (d. 1937) |
| 1937 | 1967 | Umar Ibn Muhammad also known as Sanda Kyarimi |
| 1968 | 1974 | Umar Ibn Abubakar Garbai (d. 1974)[2] |
| September 1974 | February 2009 | Mustapha Ibn Umar Kyari Amin El-Kanemi (b. 1924 d. 21 February 2009)[5] |
| February 2009 | Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai (b. 13 May 1957)[2] |
Local Government Areas in Borno Emirate[]
Borno Emirate covers fifteen Local Government Areas:
- Abadam
- Chibok
- Damboa
- Gubio
- Guzamala
- Jere
- Kaga
- Konduga
- Kukawa
- Mafa
- Magumeri
- Maiduguri
- Marte
- Mobbar
- Monguno
- Nganzai[6]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ al-Kanemi dynasty: Sultanate of Borno. Rulers.org, accessed 2009-04-02
- ^ a b c Naija Pundit (6 March 2009). "The intrigues, power play behind the emergence of new Shehu of Borno". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ Isa Umar Gusau and Sharafa Dauda (11 July 2010). "How Germany, Britain and France once shared, ruled Borno – Shehu of Dikwa". Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- ^ "Traditional States of Nigeria". WorldStatesmen.org. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ "Mustapha Amin El-Kanemi (1924–2009)". ThisDay. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ Nigeria (2000). Nigeria: a people united, a future assured. 2, State Surveys (Millennium ed.). Abuja, Nigeria: Federal Ministry of Information. p. 106. ISBN 9780104089.
- Bornu Empire
- Maiduguri
- Nigerian traditional states
- Emirates