Alwali Kazir

Alwali Kazir
Governor of Kwara State
In office
December 1989 – 2 January 1992
Preceded by Ibrahim Alkali
Succeeded by Shaaba Lafiaji
Chief Of Army Staff
In office
August 1994 – March 1996
Preceded by Chris Alli
Succeeded by Victor Malu
Personal details
Born Yobe State, Nigeria

Major General (retired) Alwali Kazir was a Military Governor of Kwara State, Nigeria from December 1989 to January 1992 during the military regime of Major General Ibrahim Babangida, handing over to the elected civilian governor Shaaba Lafiaji at the start of the Nigerian Third Republic.[1] Kwara state has a Muslim majority, but a significant Christian minority. Tension between the religious groups broke into riots in 1991. In January 1991 Kazir cancelled the appointments of the administrative secretaries of the SDP and NRC political parties because they did not "reflect the religious character of the state", referring to the fact that only Moslems had been appointed.[2]

Kazir was appointed Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) in august 1994 replacing Major General Chris Alli during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.[3] In May 1995, a bomb exploded at a stadium in Ilorin during a ceremony that Kazir was attending, one of a series on incidents directed against the unpopular military regime.[4] He retired in March 1996, replaced as COAS by Major General Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi.[5]

In April 2009 the Emir of Bade gave Kazir the title of Madakin Bade in an elaborate ceremony in Gashua, Yobe State.[6] In August 2009 he was appointed to the board of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.[7] In March 2010 Kazir was one of the Yobe State nominees for a position in the cabinet of acting president Goodluck Jonathan.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Nigerian States". WorldStatesmen. http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-30. 
  2. ^ Toyin Falola (2001). Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Secular Ideologies. University Rochester Press. p. 223. ISBN 1-58046-052-6. 
  3. ^ Habeeb I. Pindiga (31 October 2008). "Kazir, Lafiagi May Make New Cabinet". Daily Trust. http://allafrica.com/stories/200810310744.html. Retrieved 2010-05-30. 
  4. ^ "Nigeria: On the Brink of Civil War?". WRITENET. 1 February 1996. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,WRITENET,,NGA,,3ae6a6bf8,0.html. Retrieved 2010-05-30. 
  5. ^ Max Siollun (2009). Oil, politics and violence: Nigeria's military coup culture (1966-1976). Algora Publishing. p. 251. ISBN 0-87586-708-1. 
  6. ^ Hamza Idris (13 April 2009). "First Bank Director Ngama, Kazir Get Traditional Titles". Daily Trust. http://allafrica.com/stories/200904130354.html. Retrieved 2010-05-30. 
  7. ^ Chesa Chesa (8 August 2009). "Yar'Adua Heads Space Agency Board, Approves Other Board Appointments". Daily Independent. http://allafrica.com/stories/200908100301.html. Retrieved 2010-05-30. 
  8. ^ Suleiman M. Bisalla (21 March 2010). "20 Ex-Ministers to Bounce Back". Daily Trust. http://allafrica.com/stories/201003220605.html. Retrieved 2010-05-30.