Yahaya Kuta Mohammed: Celebrating A Technocrat Par Excellence @ 52

 

 

When the governor of Niger State and Chief Servant, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu left the comfort of his office as a federal permanent secretary in Abuja to embark on a rescue mission in the state in 2007, he needed top notch technocrats to help him run the state. And one of the top technocrats that readily came to mind was Professor Yahaya Kuta Mohammed, a renowned agricultural extension expert and lecturer at the Nigeria’s Ivy League, University of Ibadan, who was born on October 20, 1962 at Kuchi Ward, Jima District of Lavun local government area of Niger State.  

Six years earlier, precisely in 2001, Yahaya Kuta Mohammed was honoured as one of the 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21^st Century by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England.

Yahaya Kuta Mohammed’s enlistment as one of the 2000 most outstanding intellectuals of the 21^st Century was not without reasons. Mohammed’s outstanding academic records and research works that was published in several journals at home and abroad left no one in doubt about his intellectual prowess and contributions to the world’s body of knowledge especially in his area of specialisation; the agricultural sector.

Though recognised locally and internationally as one of the foremost authorities in agricultural extension, his natural gift as an astute organiser and man management did not escape the chief servant who is himself an outstanding technocrat and who quickly appointed him the pioneer secretary to the Niger State government in his administration. Mohammed became the engine room of the administration of the chief servant between 2007 and 2011, a role he played with panache. Yahaya Kuta grew up drawing from the fountain of knowledge of Late Makama Nupe, Alhaji Shehu Ahmadu Musa(1935-2008) who when he was alive also recognised Kuta’s outstanding academic potentials and literally mentored him. Incidentally Shehu Musa was an outstanding secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria appointed in 1979 , a responsibility quite similar to Yahaya Kuta’s role as the secretary to the Niger State government. There is no doubt that if Shehu Musa had been alive today, he would have been very proud of the performance of his protégé as the secretary to the Niger State government.

In all the great accomplishments of the chief servant which earned him his well-deserved second term in 2011 by a grateful electorate of Niger State, Professor Yahaya Kuta Mohammed was at the centre of it and still is. Even the worst critics of the administration of Babangida Aliyu can attest that the chief servant will be leaving Niger State in 2015 better than he met it. Using the servant leadership model the chief servant has transformed the state in the areas of education, agriculture, infrastructural development, urban development, housing, poverty alleviation and economic empowerment among others. All these transformations in the state by Governor Babangida Aliyu has earned the governor commendations and awards at home and abroad with Yahaya Kuta being among his key lieutenants that helped him to fulfil the mandate given to him by Nigerlites since 2007.

The chief servant is also appreciative of the contributions of Yahaya Kuta Mohammed to his administration in particular and to the development of Niger State in general which accounts for his being one of the longest serving technocrats in his administration. Shortly after the chief servant was re-elected in 2011, he moved the professor from the office of the secretary to the state government to become the chief of staff to the governor, a position he held till he was made commissioner of information and now the state commissioner for agriculture. In all these positions this passionate intellectual, stickler to due process, integrity and excellency, has left track records of outstanding performance. And as he clocks 52 on October 20, 2014, Yahaya Kuta Mohammed should be reminded that his good works for Niger State, Nigeria and the world’s intellectual community cannot be forgotten. Keep excelling Magatakardan Nupe even as bigger responsibility awaits you in Abuja in future, Insha Allah. Happy birthday Magatakardan Nupe!