MALAM DIKKO
__________
A Tribute to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda at 57 by Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi
__________
Malam Dikko,
Leader of uncommon grace.
The pride of Katsina
With vision and pace.
When storms arose,
Dark clouds filled the sky,
You stood with courage.
You refused to shy.
At fifty-seven,
We celebrate your life,
Pray for wisdom,
Peace and blessings rife.
You took the helm
When turbulent winds blew,
When fear, violence
Were all that people knew.
Our farms
Were deserted,
Our communities afraid.
Yet you stood firm,
Faced the challenge
Unafraid.
Like a compass
Steady
In the thickest night.
You held your course
And pointed
Towards the light.
Look now at Jibia,
Once a land of fear,
Where peace,
Normal life
Are returning there.
The markets are alive,
Farmers till the soil,
Families rebuild
Their lives.
Through honest toil.
Where gunfire
Once echoed
Across the land.
Hope
Now walks proudly,
Hand in hand.
With one hand
You fight insecurity’s flame,
With the other,
You build a future
Worthy of the name.
Your Building Your Future
Vision still remains,
Despite the hardship,
The pains.
You showed
Challenges may delay
The stride
But never
Must they make
The vision hide.
In education,
You saw tomorrow’s dawn,
Chose to build
While others
Might have withdrawn.
Thousands have found
Employment,
New ways to grow,
As opportunities
Increasingly flow.
To Egypt,
Forty-one
Medical students flew,
While sixty-seven
To China,
Pursued knowledge new.
In healthcare too,
Your vision
Reached the ground,
Where malaria
Malnutrition
Once were found.
Maternal health,
Water-borne diseases
You faced,
While primary
Healthcare strengthened,
Embraced.
Two hundred
And sixty-eight centres
Now stand,
Bringing vital services
Closer to the land.
The farmer
Who once trembled
Now returns
To his field.
The soil that lay
Abandoned
Begins again
To yield.
Commerce revives
Where insecurity
Once prevailed,
The hope of our people,
Though tested,
Never failed.
For you believe
That Katsina
Must arise,
Meet her future
Beneath brighter skies.
In politics,
You chose the pathway
Of accord,
Building bridges
Rather than drawing
A sword.
You kept
Your political house
Together and strong,
While elsewhere
Bitter divisions
Continued long.
Through patience,
Dialogue
And a steady hand,
You sought
To keep unity
Across the land.
Malam Dikko,
Your compass
Remains true,
Pointing toward
The future and the work
Left to do.
When winds
Grow fierce,
The road becomes rough,
You have shown
That courage
Must remain enough.
For leadership is service,
Responsibility
More so trust,
An obligation
To the people,
Noble and just.
Today,
At fifty-seven,
We honour your name,
Your years of service,
Your struggles,
Your aim.
May Almighty Allah grant
You wisdom, health.
May He bless your journey
With lasting strength,
Wealth.
May every seed of service
That you sow
Become a harvest
For generations
Yet to grow.
Malam Dikko Radda,
May your story endure,
A story of courage,
Of service
And hope pure.
May Katsina move
From turbulence
Into peace.
May development flourish,
Prosperity increase.
May Allah keep
Your compass steady,
Bright!
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© Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi (Fasihin Galadiman Katsina-I)
Thursday, 28-03-1448 (Hijriyya)
10-09-2026 (Miladiyya)
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