Who is Alhaji Mohammed Munir Jaafaru: The Yeriman Zazzau.
Alhaji Mohammed Munir Jaafaru (The Yariman Zazzau) is a lawyer, technocrat, administrator, and distinguished Abusite who is the current Chairman, Board of Directors of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited. He is also a former Managing Director/CEO National Maritime Authority, and chairman of Nigerian Unity Bank.
Alhaji Mohammed Munir Jaafaru was born on 25th March, 1956 in Zaria. His father Ja’afaru Dan Isiyaku was the sixteenth Sarkin Zazzau, he reigned from 1937 to 1959 died when he was only three years old. As Emir of Zaria, he was administrative head of Zaria Emirate Native Authority which consisted of seventeen districts and he was responsible for the maintenance of law and order within the emirate.
Munir did his primary school in Anchau Takalafiya Primary School in the present day Kubau Local Government area. After which he moved to Government Secondary School (GSS), Zaria (renamed Alhudahuda College) and later to the College of Arts and Science, also here in Zaria.
According to him, “It is the tradition of most Muslim homes to combine Qur’anic school with Western education. Therefore, in the morning we usually went to primary school, while in the evening we attended the Islamiyya school, which was known as Makarantar Allo. In the Makarantar Allo, we also used to have classes in the night.”
After passing out from the college in 1976, he was admitted into the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) where he studied from 1976 to 1979 and obtained an LLB degree. From 1979 to 1980, Munir was at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, where he qualified as a barrister and solicitor.
Alhaji Mohammed Munir Jaafaru’s career
Prince Munir Jaafaru did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in the university, and afterward started his career as a Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1981-1983. During that period, he did his masters in law (LLM).
In 1991, he went to the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS) for the Senior Executive Course, Number 13. After the course, he was bestowed with the membership of the institute, MNI.
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After his short career as a lecturer in the university, the Prince worked at the then Nigeria Universal Bank. He served as a commissioner at various times in different ministries in Kaduna State, including Local Government and Community Development, Ministry of Information, Home Affairs and Culture, and finally, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The Yeriman Zazzau resigned and took up an appointment with the Federal Government. He was the secretary of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in 1990. He was appointed the Director-General of the National Maritime Authority, from 1992 to 1996.
While serving as the DG of the Maritime Authority, he was also the chairman of the Nigerian Unity Bank. He was Director of the FSG Bank International and Director of Leasing Company of Nigeria.
Prince Munir Jaafaru went fully into private practice after the end of his tenure in October 1992. He opened a chamber and a consultancy company and was appointed as the chairman of AG Alliance Insurance Company and NEM Insurance Company as well as director for several organizations.
During the Presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo, he was appointed Chairman, National Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) from 2001-2004. It was during his tenure that the project in Faniso was started in Kano State and he also commissioned the Calabar Export Processing Zone.
He was the President, Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines & Agriculture (KADCCIMA), and served in various Federal/State committees and Non-Governmental Organizations. He currently Chairs the Board of Directors of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited and seat on the board of several others.
Asked by the DailyTrust a few years ago, what was his most difficult experience in active service. The Yeriman Zazzau said, “Working in the National Maritime Authority was the most difficult aspect of my career. It was not easy working there because there were a lot of people who wanted you to compromise the standards of your duties. We had problems with people bringing fake papers, receipts, and so on and so forth. These people expected us to compromise so that they can defraud the revenue of the government.
“It’s either you agreed with them or you faced their wrath. An attempt was made on my life while I was the DG of the Maritime Authority, but Allah in His infinite mercy saved me. My orderly was, however, not lucky because he was killed in the episode. This was in 1996.
“This is to tell you that this issue of people wanting to compromise standards set by the government did not start today. However, the ability of civil servants to stand firm and defend the integrity of the service is usually what matters. When civil servants compromise the rules and regulations guiding their activities, it is usually a big problem.
“On the other hand, I had good experiences while in service. One of them was when I served as a commissioner under the administration of Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (retired), the then military governor of Kaduna State. It was an exciting experience because the then military governors were more democratic than some of the civilian governors we have now.” He concluded.
Awards and titles
Mohammed Munir Jaafaru was made the title holder of the Yariman Zazzau by the Emir of Zazzau in 1995. He received the award of the Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in 2005. He is currently the District Head of Hanwa, Sabon-Gari, Zaria.
His views about the role traditional leaders should play in maintaining peace in Nigeria.
“I think we should continue to play an advisory role. However, political leaders should always take our pieces of advice seriously. Traditional and religious leaders are closer to the people at the grassroots therefore we know the problems and the needs of our people more than those in government. Therefore, emirs should always be consulted in whatever the government wants to do for the citizens.”
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