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Obituary: Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman

Dr Usman died this morning, after an illness. One of Nigeria's most
prominent historian, he sustained a Marxist scholarship for over
three decades. Known for his pioneering contribution to the studies
of kingship in northern Nigeria, he became a front-line defender of
justice and civil liberties. Born in 1945 at Musawa, Katsina, he
forsook the claims to royalty in order to dedicate himself to
historical scholarship and the promotion of democracy and liberty in
Africa. His most important work, The Transformation of Katsina,
1400-1883, reveals the nature of power relations and the peasantry in
a major Islamic emirate.

He attained the political limelight as a member of the Committee for
the Review of the Nigerian Foreign Policy from 1975 to 1976. Later
on, he participated in the Constitution Drafting Committee that
inaugurated the Second Republic, although he produced a two-man
minority report which offered a critique of the main document. He was
later to be active in various political parties and to serve in
various administrative capacities.

May His Soul Rest In Peace.

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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin

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