Katsina Times
Dr. Russell Aliyu Barau Dikko, Likita na farko daga Arewacin Najeriya, ya kasance ginshiki wajen assasa tsarin kiwon lafiya da bunkasa ilimi a Arewa, tun daga tsakiyar karni na 20. An haife shi a garin Zaria ranar 15 ga Yuni, 1912, ya kuma rasu a watan Afrilu, 1977, yana da shekaru 64.
Barau Dikko ya taso cikin gida mai kishin ilimi da shugabanci. Mahaifinsa, Malam Barau, sananne ne a fagen ilimi da addini a Zaria. Bayan kammala karatunsa a Zaria Middle School da Katsina College, ya samu damar tafiya kasar Birtaniya inda ya karanci likitanci a jami'ar Glasgow, Scotland. A shekarar 1938, ya kammala karatu ya zama cikakken likita, yana daga cikin ‘yan Arewa na farko da suka samu irin wannan nasara.
Bayan dawowarsa gida Najeriya, Barau Dikko ya tsunduma cikin aikin lafiya da sadaukarwa. Ya zama babban likita (Chief Medical Officer) na Arewa, inda ya jagoranci kafa sabbin asibitoci, cibiyoyin lafiya da kuma shirye-shiryen horar da ma’aikatan lafiya 'yan asalin yankin.
A matsayin wani gagarumin aikin da ya bar baya, an kafa Asibitin Barau Dikko Memorial Hospital a Kaduna, domin tunawa da gudummawarsa a fannin lafiya, wanda har yau ke ci gaba da bayar da hidima ga dubban mutane.
Baya ga aikin likitanci, Dr. Dikko ya taka rawar gani a fagen siyasa. Ya kasance mamba a majalisar dattawa ta tarayya, sannan ya shugabanci Majalisar Zartaswa ta Arewacin Najeriya a lokacin da Arewa ke karɓar mulki daga turawan mulkin mallaka. Haka kuma, ya rike mukamin Ministan Lafiya kafin Najeriya ta samu 'yancin kai.
Ta cikin siyasa ne Barau Dikko ya samu damar kara zurfafa yunkurinsa na bunkasa kiwon lafiya da ilimi a Arewa da Najeriya gaba ɗaya.
Rayuwar Dr. Barau Dikko ta kasance wani babban darasi na sadaukarwa, kishin kasa da yakinin cewa ilimi da aiki tukuru sune ginshikin cigaba. Duk da matsaloli da kalubale da ya fuskanta a lokacin da Arewa ke da karancin masana lafiya, bai yi kasa a gwiwa ba, ya dage har ya samar da tubalin da ake ci gaba da ginawa a kai.
Tarihin rayuwarsa yana koyar da matasa muhimmancin neman ilimi da sadaukar da kai don amfanar da al'umma.
Dr. Russell Aliyu Barau Dikko ya mutu, amma tarihi ya raya Ilimi da sunansa. A yau, sunansa yana ci gaba da haskakawa a sahun gwarazan da suka gina tubalin ci gaban Arewacin Najeriya da kasa baki ɗaya.
