KATSINA, OFR, PSC CIROMAN KATSINA, MILITARY GOVERNOR, NORTHERN REGION AND ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF General Hassan Usman Katsina was bom into the Katsina Royalfamily on 3 f March 1933. His grandfather Dikko was Emir of Katsina so ako was his father Usman Nagogo. The prince who later became a great soldier did his ekmentary education between 1940 and 1943 at Kankiya Ekmentary School. He was at the Katsina Middk Schoolfrom 1944 to 1947 before proceeding to the Kaduna Colkge from 1948 to 1951. He was ako at the Institute of Administration Zaria in 1952 and the Nigerian Colkge of Arts, Science and Technology Zaria from 1953 to 1955. Hejoined the Nigerian Army in February 1956 and started his Military training in March of the sameyear at the Regular Officers Special Training School Accra, Ghana. Six months later, he went for the Mons Officer Cadets School AJdershot, England, and ako Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He had further military training at Small Arms School Keat, England; School of Infantry Warminster, England from 1957 to 1959; School of Infantry Fort Benning, USA in 1962; Staff Collage Camberky in 1964 and Royal Colkgefor Defence Studies England in 1972. The young officer was commissioned in March 1959 and served in the 2nd and f Battalions of the Nigerian Army. He was Staff Officer of the T Bde in the Congo and was the Commanding Officer of the Recce Regiment the post he was holding before the bkody military coup of January 1966 which claimed the lives of several very important Northerners. In emergencies like this, peopk like him are badly needed to help in the stabilisation process. His position as a prince from a powerful Hausa Fulani Emirate and a Lieutenant Coknel in the Nigerian Army made it expedient for his appointment as the Military Governor of Northern Nigeria. He held this position from 1966 to 1967. As the Military Governor of the Northern Region, he effetted a number of revolutionary changes both in the Government machinery and in the social life of the peopk. He was turbaned the Ciroman Katsina by his fatherEmir of Katsina, Alhaji Sir Usman Nagogo in 1974. The 2~* coup of 1966 brought in anew crop of kaders who were largely Northerners and who created twelve (12) States for the nation. After the creation of states in 1967, Colonel Hassan Katsina became Chairman of the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA) overseeing the day to day governance of the nascent states of the North. He was a kind of Headmaster directing the young officers who were just posted as Military Governors of the States. In that position, he contributed immensely to efforts made by the military kadership to promote peaceful co-existence andpreventa break-up of the country. He was Chairman of ICSA between 1967 and 1968. In May 1968 in the thick of tbe Nigerian Civil war, Hassan Katsina, now a Brigadier became Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army. Though his administrative duties kept him away from the war fronts, Brigadier Hassan visited the troops on a number of occasions to cheer the soldiers up andgive them moral support. In 1972, this time aMajor General, he was made the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Supreme Headquarters of the Nigerian Army and ako Federal Commissionerfor Establishments. He held this position till 1975 when their government was overthrown by General Murtala Mohammed and his group. The Pok loving amiabk General and Ciroman Kastsina who in his time abolished unpopular courts and merged theNA Police with tbe Nigerian Police Force died in bis Kaduna home on the 24th July, 1995 aged 62. Before his death, be wasChairman NigerianPokAssociation since 1987, and National Oil and Chemical Marketing (Nigeria). He wasawardedtheOFRin 1982 \nd here I shpuldlike to scq something about the difficult and iangerous tasks, which our-Nigerian Sbldiers and'police have leefr dealingwithin tbe Congo, and to MtW , . .„ . , tellyouwhy it.isin your interests thatwe shouldmaifrtain them then. FromtimeJcrtime tpere has been considerablepressure.forthemwithdrawaL butJo have, brought them back p Nigeria would, have been to play straight into the hands of tlwse powers which are seeking to promputof,the chaos in. we Congo. 1maysay thatLamvery yroud of the manner in which our soldiers and police,have conducted themselves, and LdoMSSure1you7that they pavejone a wonderfuljob of work.. In ImpoMville itself the, Nigerian rolice have been.patrqlliung without armsthis is a thmgrvhich has never been done thereMore andithaslfmade a tremendous impression on the peopk of Lxopoldvuk whp had always, previously connected the forces of law and order with brutal Tafawa Balewa
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