Alhaji Agf Abdulrazaq: Pioneer; Inspiration; Father And Exemplary Life

I’ve just seen the report of the passing of one of the greatest sons of Nigeria; the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria; an outstanding pioneer and very proud son of Ilorin Emirate, Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq, SAN; Mutawali Ilorin; Tafidan Zazzau. The story added that he passed peaceful this morning. We are all poorer today, with the passing of this exemplary human being; father; pioneer and uncommon achiever. Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq was an incredibly courageous individual, given the manner that his life was lived. Not only did he grow up far away from his home, Ilorin, but was also able to secure achievements that were not known to his contemporaries in Ilorin and Northern Nigeria of those times; these culminated in his becoming the first lawyer in the sprawling Northern Region, that became 19 states today.

And it was the remarkable story of his life, that he succeeded as a lawyer; a political leader; an administrator; a founder of a College; defender of the integrity of his community; and can we forget that he was also an incredibly exemplary parent too, giving birth to children, who have also made major marks, on the progress of our country. Of course, every man’s death diminishes us, in the words of the Poet, John Donne, because we are involved in mankind. And in the passing of the venerable Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq, we have lost an uncommon pioneer and inspiration; the one that blazed the trail of professional excellence and allowed generations upon generations, to begin to actualize themselves, as well as to be inspired for their own successful strivings in life. This is the venerable old man that we have just lost.

Professor Hampate Ba, the great Malian intellectual, famously said that the passing of an old African, is the equivalent of the burning of a library. In the passing of the distinguished Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq, we have lost a man of history, whose life traversed some of the most important phases of the history of almost a hundred years!

May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljanna Fir’daus. Amin. May Allah give His Highness, the Emir of Ilorin; the people of the Ilorin Emirate; the Zazzau Emirate; Northern Nigeria, that has just lost it’s FIRST lawyer; Nigeria, and finally the AbdulRazaq family ( especially our dearest Mama), the fortitude to bear the passing of Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq. Allah ya gafarta masa; ya kuma jikan sa da rahama. Amin