By: Ibrahim Mohammed Gambari
Gambari is one of the pivotal component units that made up Ilorin – the territory stretches from Adifa junction till beyond Amilegbe and as well regarded as part of ÀFÍN (Palace) in the Ilorin Emirate.
It is undeniable that Gambari is one the four major pillars firming the Ilorin Emirate – Balogun Gambari, Balogun Fulani, Balogun Alanamu and Balogun Ajikobi.
But, for people of Gambari extraction like us, for years- even till date, we have had to weather plethora of banters and even received many bullets for fortunately being descendants of Gambari enclave. Whenever you are in the company of your non-Gambari descended friends, just be of the prayer that the crux of your discussion does not hover around VIOLENCE, HOOLIGANISM or THUGGERY because Gambari would definitely and derisively be used as a case study or an existential example.
You have even stepped out of your boundaries by trying to market yourself to a lady from a different part of Ilorin, sorry, you have already dealt yourself a huge blow upon discovery that you are of Gambari origin. Your glowing rhetoric would ricochet off automatically her ears – consequently, you hear her mutter a derogatory word like: “Tani o fẹ àwọn ọmọ Gambari to fẹràn já?” So demoralizing!
Alas! It is appalling and saddening as people enjoy the luxury of hurling debasing word such as “Òpin ọmọbu n’ilọrin Gambari lowa,” at us. But they are seemingly swimming in the ocean of ignorance because social vices are no reserve of a particular territory or people it exists- even in the pit of hell.
But the fact they won’t tell you is that Gambari has been remarkable and outstanding for its ethnic plurality and cultural harmony – in the whole of Ilorin, no territory or enclave enjoys such tribal diversity- it is only in Gambari you find Hausa; Fulani; Kemberi; Baruba; Nupe; Kanuri and Yoruba.
In Ilorin today, Gambari enclave is no push over in the chieftaincy pecking order as it is regarded as one of the component units in the Ilorin Emirate with highest number of Traditional chiefs: Balogun Gambari; Ajia Opele; Kure Ameeda; Sarkin Gobir; Balogun Baare; Sarkin Zango; Sarkin Gambari; Sarkin Karuma; Maiyaki Ubandawaki and Imam Gambari just to mention a few.
It is high time we frowned at the misrepresentation of Gambari as it is an instrumental part of Ilorin with great personalities who have contributed their level best for the growth and development of the Ilorin Emirate. One of such titans is Yusuf Amuda Gobir- first indigene of Ilorin to be appointed Federal Permanent Secretary in 1962; the Late Justice Mustapha Akanbi, SAN Former President of Federal Court of Appeal and inaugural Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission; Justice Idris Abdullahi Haroon, Former Grand Khadi, Kwara State Shari’a Court; Alhaji Amuda Kannike, a business tycoon; Professor Lanre Badmus, Former Provost, Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies; Professor Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi, SAN Vice Chancellor, Kwara State University; Professor Ruqoyyah Gobir; Professor Abiodun Amuda Kannike, SAN Dean, Faculty of Law, Kwara State University; LAK Jimoh, a renowned historian; Hajiya Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, Former Commissioner, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic; Dr. Abubakar Amuda Kannike, Former Federal lawmaker; Saliu Mustapha, Former Guber Candidate; Ambassador Yahya Sarki Abdulfatai Gambari, Former Guber candidate; Waziri Yakubu Gobir, for Guber candidate and so on.
