Personality of the Week - 16th to 22nd May 2011

Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida

Our Personality of this week is no other person than our own High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida OFR, because of his holistic outlook which promotes oneness with others. CANUK decided to make Dr Tafida the personality of the week, not because he won an election in Nigeria for his candidate as Director General of President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign team (CANUK is a non political, non religious organization protecting the rights and aspirations of all Nigerians in the UK regardless of their political leanings,) but because of his politics.

This great man is being honoured because of the honourable way and manner he discharged his assignment in Nigeria. We as the umbrella organization of all Nigerians in the UK are proud of the way Dr Tafida promoted his candidate to the electorate and the laudable changes he has implemented in the Nigeria High Commission. Besides this, Dr Tafida is a father and promoter of the Diasporan cause through our organization and we are ever grateful to him for the support he and his Deputy, Ambassador Nwanna OON has always given to CANUK.

Dr Tafida was born on 24 November 1940 in Zaria, Kaduna State. He attended Barewa College, Zaria (1954 - 1959) and Government College, Keffi (1960 - 1961), and then was admitted to the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (1962-1967) where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. He was House Officer and then Senior House Officer at Ahmadu Bello University (1967 - 1969) and Registrar (1969 - 1970). He studied at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon-Tyne, England (1970 - 1971) and the University of Liverpool, England (1971-1972), obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health. Later he studied at Johns Hopkins University in the USA (1974).

Tafida was Senior Registrar in Medicine in Katsina Specialist Hospital (1972 - 1973), Consultant Physician to the Kaduna State Ministry of Health (1973 - 1976) and Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health (1976 - 1980). He was personal physician to President Shehu Shagari (1980 - 1983). In 1983, he was awarded the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). He was Commissioner of Health, Commissioner of Agriculture and then Commissioner of Education in Kaduna State between 1984 and 1987. In the 1992 presidential primaries for the National Republican Convention (NRC), Tafida defeated former military ruler General Yakubu Gowon in the Zaria ward under the Option A4 system. He was appointed Federal Minister of Health between 1993 and 1995. He was given the traditional title of Tafidan Zazzau in 1995.

After taking his seat in the Senate in June 1999, Tafida was appointed to committees on Rules & Procedures (chairman), Science & Technology, Health, Agriculture and Drug & Narcotics. During his second term Tafida was the Senate Majority Leader.

After leaving the Senate, Tafida was appointed Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, presenting his Letters of Credence to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 30 May 2008.

Dr Tafida's career in medicine started at a young age with his fascination for the school dispensary. 'I used to go there regularly, not because I was sick, but because I was interested!' Noticing this interest, the man in charge asked him to help, and by his final year he was head of the dispensary clinic. Despite winning a scholarship to study nuclear engineering at the University of Moscow, he stayed at home, studying at the College of Medicine at the University of Lagos.

Since 1995, he has held the traditional title of Tafidan Zazzau. Arguably, one of the closest men to the Emir of Zazzau, he holds one of the highest ranking titles in his Emirate. The owner of over twenty horses, Dr Tafida rides them during festive and ceremonial activities. His hobbies include Scrabble and Table Tennis.