ABUBAKAR RIMI DIES AT 70

Sunday 5th March,2010. At about 10pm , travelling in a Jeep, they were stopped at Garki village, very close to Kano, by a gang of armed robbers, who took away all their money and telephones. The robbers, who set up their own road block about two kilometres away from a road block set up by mobile policemen, had already stopped and robbed several cars before Rimi’s Jeep ran into them. A dispute apparently arose between the robbers and Rimi’s brother Alhaji Sule Sa’a, and the robbers used clubs and thoroughly beat Alhaji Sule, wounding him in the head.

Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi, died of complications from high blood pressure an hour after he had an encounter with armed robbers. He died just before midnight at the Malam Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital, Kano. 

Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was born in Rimi Village of Sumaila Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria, in 1940. Two decades later, he attended an instructor’s course at the institute of Administration, Zaria, which a year later became Ahmadu Bello University. He also undertook private studies for the General Certificate of education of the University of London. In 1972, Alhaji Rimi attended the University of London, where he completed a diploma in international affairs at the London institute of World Affairs, and later, a Masters Degree in International Relations.

He worked with the late Mallam Aminu Kano and some progressives, to form the people’s Redemption Party (PRP), which was one of the five political parties registered and he contested in 1979 General elections in Nigeria. On the 11th of December 1978, Dr. Rimi was elected the party’s Deputy National secretary at the PRP’s first national convention in Lagos.

Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was elected the first civilian Governor of Kano State on 28th July, 1979. He become governor of Kano State at the age of 39, and his tenure witnessed fundamental changes and unparalleled achievements in Kano State.

Alhaji Abubakar Rimi’s administration was widely recognized as one of the best state governments in Nigeria during his tenure as Kano State governor in terms of spreading social amenities and introducing new progressive measures for the betterment of the people – for instance, educational institutions at all levels tripled during his tenure of office. Inaccessible and neglected rural areas of Kano State were opened up with massive road projects, rural electrification and extensive rural water programmes. His administration gave Kano state a great Television Station the CTV, in 1981. He also set up the Triumph Publishing Company home to four newspapers.

Women in Kano State benefited significantly from Rimi’s administration. In December 1979, and for the first time in Kano State history, he appointed a woman to be a Commissioner in the State executive council. During his tenure of office between 1979 and 1983, there were three women Commissioners who served in the ministries of Trade, Industries and co-operative, Home Affairs and Information and Health.

Abubakar Rimi also introduced a celebrated Adult Education programme under a department he named ‘Agency for Mass Education’, in April 1980. Through this agency, adults who could not go through formal education to secondary and university levels obtained a high quality education. This Adult Education programme was recognized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) of the United Nations, based in Paris, in 1983, as one of the best Adult Education programmes on the African continent.

Dr Abubakar Rimi is the recipient of numerous honors including an honorary Doctor of laws degree from the University of Calabar.

In 1993, he was appointed Minister of Communications. In that capacity, he was responsible for all telecommunication and postal services in Nigeria.

Alhaji Abubakar Rimi is one of the foundation members of the PDP. He was the Chairman of the Finance committee of the Party at its inception and also one of its presidential candidates.