KATSINA — Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has appointed Sheikh Dr Nasiru Abdulrahman Funtua as Chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board and Alhaji Muhammad Saifuddeen Yakubu Musa as Commander-General of the Katsina State Hisbah Board.
The appointments are among eight appointments announced by the governor in a statement issued on Tuesday, with the appointees directed to support the administration’s Building Your Future agenda.
Radda also appointed Dr Sirajo Yakubu Batagarawa and Mallam Abubakar Kabir Kusada as Special Advisers, while Alhaji Shamsuddeen Surajo Wowo Dutsin-Ma was named Director-General of the Katsina State Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (KEWMA).
Others are Alhaji Ma’aruf Shehu Sanin Kawo Dandume, appointed Senior Special Assistant to the governor; Alhaji Lawal Ibrahim Musa, named a member of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board; and Ahmed Abduljalal, appointed Special Adviser to the governor.
Sheikh Funtua is an Islamic scholar and leader of the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS). The governor charged him with strengthening the operations of the Pilgrims Welfare Board and prioritising the welfare and interests of pilgrims.
Batagarawa brings experience in law, academia, public administration and security. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of London and previously served as a senior lecturer and Head of the Department of Public and International Law at Nile University of Nigeria. He also held positions in the Federal Civil Service, including assignments with the Department of State Services and administrative responsibilities in the offices of the President and Vice-President.
Kusada holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education (English) from the University of Jos and is pursuing a master’s degree in English Language at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma. He previously held administrative positions at the university before joining the Transmission Company of Nigeria, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Manager.
Wowo, who has more than two decades of private-sector experience, has served as Managing Director of Darassalam Energy and Logistics and Tuge Farms Limited. His experience spans energy, logistics, agribusiness, procurement and strategic management.
The governor expects him to apply his experience to strengthening KEWMA’s capacity to address erosion, watershed management and related environmental challenges.
Musa holds qualifications in public administration, local government and development studies, and financial management. His appointment is expected to support the Pilgrims Welfare Board’s administrative and service-delivery responsibilities.
Abduljalal, a graduate of Animal Health and Husbandry from Maryam Abacha American University of Niger, has served in the Local Government Service Commission since 2001 and has more than two decades of public service experience.
In announcing the appointments, Radda described the new roles as a call to service and urged the appointees to justify the confidence placed in them by prioritising the interests of Katsina State and its people.
He emphasised accountability, diligence, accessibility and measurable results, directing them to work with relevant stakeholders to translate government policies and programmes into tangible benefits for residents.
