Ibrahim Jalo Waziri (17 December 1926 – 12 November 1984) was a Nigerian teacher, administrator, traditional leader, and politician. He was twice elected Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria (1960–1963 and 1963–1966) during the period of independence, making him the first indigenous Speaker to serve two full terms. He also served as a senator from 1979 to 1983, becoming the Senate Majority Leader during his second term, and held the traditional title of Wazirin Gombe until his death.
Background
- Born 17 December 1926 in Gombe, Gombe State into a royal advisory family of the Gombe Emirate.
- His father, Muhammadu Jingudo, a Fulani from Nafada dynasty, was the Ubandoma of Gombe.
- Education:
- Qur'anic school (early childhood)
- Gombe Elementary School (1936–1940)
- Bauchi Middle School (1940–1943)
- Katsina/Kaduna/Barewa College (1943–1946)
- Teachers Training College, Zaria (1946–1948) – Grade II Certificate
- West African Local Government Course, London School of Economics (1954–1955)
Career
Early Career and Traditional Role
- 1948–1952 – Teacher at Bauchi Middle School
- 1952 – Headmaster, Gombe Senior Primary School
- Inherited father’s title as Ubandoma of Gombe Emirate
- 1956 – Elevated to Waziri of Gombe Emirate while in London for local government studies
Political Career (1958–1966)
- 1958 – Joined Northern People’s Congress (NPC)
- 1959–1960 – Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives
- 1960–1966 – Speaker, House of Representatives of Nigeria
- Extended electricity and telephone services to parts of Gombe
- Advocated for the extension of the North-Eastern Railway line, headquartered in Bauchi
Post-1966 Coup and Administrative Roles
- Returned to Gombe Native Authority as Councilor for Works after January 1966 coup
- Contributed to drainage construction in Tudun Wada–Jekadafari
Served as:
- Permanent Member, Public Service Commission (1968–1973)
- Chairman, Local Government Service Board
- Chairman, Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (1973–1976)
- Opened branch offices in Kaduna, Aba, and Bauchi
- Approved loans locally without Lagos referral
- Chairman, Bauchi State Public Service Commission (after state creation in 1976)
- Bauchi State Commissioner for Education (1978–1979)
National Chief Scout (1977) – Worked to popularize Scouting as a non-sectarian movement
Return to Politics (1979–1983)
- 1979 – Elected Senator, Bauchi South-East, under National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
- Chaired the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
- 1983 – Re-elected and became Senate Majority Leader
- Contributions:
- Advocated federal housing projects in all states
- Represented Nigeria at:
- UN Apartheid Committee Seminar (1980)
- Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (1981)
Honours and Awards
- Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) – Nigeria
- Commander of the Order of Senegal – 1983
- Key to the City of San Francisco, USA – 1983
Death
- Died 12 November 1984 in Gombe, aged 57.
- Survived by his family and remembered as a pioneer post-independence legislator and traditional leader.
Bibliography
- Nigeria: Her Woes and Their True Remedies – Dr. Okoro Onyeije Chukwudum (2009)
- The African Guardian – July 1987
- The Guardian – 1971
External Links
- Telling Our Stories: Ibrahim Jalo Waziri – World Scouting(https://www.scout.org)