Hon. Hamza Suleiman Faskari: Touching Lives Through Philanthropy

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By Sama’ila Adamu

Hamza Suleiman Faskari is a very popular name in the Katsina State political cycle since he joined the public service and political space in the year 2009. He has earned for himself a name as a hardworking, dedicated, committed, and generous public servant.

He was born on 18th February, 1979, in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. He started this education at Faskari Model Primary School in 1985 which he concluded in 1991 and moved to Government Secondary School Faskari for his Junior Secondary School education. He also attended Government Science Secondary School Dustinma where he concluded his senior secondary school education in 1996.

Hamza Suleiman proceeded to Kaduna State Polytechnic, Zaria in 2000 for the Interim Joint Matriculation Board examination (IJMB). He then gained admission into Bayero University, Kano, where he earned a Remedial English Certificate also in 2000. He also gained admission to study Bachelor of Arts, History, and pursued a Masters in Public Policy and Administration at the same institution from 2006 to two 2008.

Hamza Suleiman did his National Youth Service at the Department of Humanities at Government College Kaduna between 2005 and 2006.

He started his working career as an administrative officer in charge of the South East zone at the Federal Character Commission Headquarters in Abuja from 2009 to 2011.

From then, Hamza Suleiman joined politics, starting with an appointment as a Special Assistant to this Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Abu Ibrahim between 2011 and 2015. That was when the spotlight shone on him when his political wit became glaring before members of his principal’s constituency of Katsina South Senatorial District.

In 2015, the then Governor of Katsina State, Rt. Hon Aminu Bello Masari appointed Hamza Sule as the Commissioner of Environment, a position which he held for eight years from 2015 to 2023.

During the period, the state witnessed several projects in the environment sector through a collaboration between the National Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) of the World Bank and the Katsina State government.

The project cut across most of the Local Government Areas of the state and have played a key role in controlling the annual erosion witnessed in flood-prone areas particularly Jibia, Katsina , Malumfashi, Maiadua, Daura and other Local Government Areas.

Besides the NEWMAP project, Hamza Sule also mobilized the ACRACEL World Bank project which was a complimentary effort towards improving environmental resources for agriculture and human habitation.

His competent handling of the NEWMAP and other projects was a litmus test of honorable Hamza Sule’s leadership qualities, and these qualities did not go unnoticed as he received several awards and recognitions.

These include the ICON Leadership award in 2021 for his exceptional contributions to the control of desertification and environmental degradation as well as infrastructure development in Katsina State. He also received the Gold Medal Award for Good Governance from the Pan-African Good Governance Council in 2019.

Others include a certificate of commendation by Save my Constituency Association and the Award for Philanthropic Achievements by Ahmad Bello University Zaria Students Representatives Council.

Other awards he received in recognition of his contributions to the socio-economic and political development of his constituency and Katsina State as a whole include an award of excellence by the APC Zonal Women and Youth,  leaders, Northwest Zone, and the Philanthropic Achievement Award by the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)

In recognition of his competence and leadership qualities, Governor Dikko Umar Radda appointed Hamza Sule into his cabinet as the commissioner for water resources. He is now tasked with implementing the development blueprint of the Radda administration in the water resources sector, a task which he has taken on with utmost commitment.

It has been rightly observed that Hamza’s presence in the Dr. Dikko Radda cabinet will no doubt contribute immensely to the actualization of the administration’s goals in the water resources sector while also boosting its public perception among the people of his constituency and the state as a whole.