Bello Bako Dambatta

Bello Bako Dambatta (born 15 December 1950 in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian chemist and university administrator. He served as the vice-chancellor of Bayero University, Kano from 1995 until 1999. Quotes I was born here in Kano city at Angwan Gini to be specific in December 1960. My father who died in 2000, was a civil servant. Initially, he was with the Native Authority and later northern Nigeria government. Shortly after I was born, he moved to the premier’s office in Kaduna. My early childhood was in Kaduna up to sometimes around 1965 before we came back to Kano to Angwan Gini, our family house. I started my primary school at Kwalli Primary School in 1966. By 1967, we moved to the GRA and I joined Magwan Primary School. In those days primary school was seven years. In class six I sat for the Common Entrance and passed. I was enrolled at Government College, Kano now Rumfa College in 1972.I was in Rumfa College between 1972-1976 where I passed out in division one. I then proceeded to School of Basic Studies between 1976-1977. I passed out in 1977 and got admitted into the Faculty of Medicine, ABU, Zaria in 1977. I graduated from Medical school in 1982 as the best student in my class in Pediatrics. After that, I did my housemanship in two places. I did my first six months in Kano here. I did surgery and obstetrics and gynecology posting between August and around January, 1983. Then, I moved to Zaria where I did another six months in pediatrics and internal medicine. The reason for doing that is because I am more interested in pediatrics and internal medicine for my post-graduate. After the Housemanship, I was posted to Owerri, Imo state for my youth service in 1983. The people were extremely nice to me. I made a lot of friends both Muslims and Christians. I happened to injure my hand during the orientation and Camp commander asked me to stay in the clinic to attend to people since I am a doctor. I met a lot of people there especially the nuns. They were very friendly. I remember one taxi driver who saw me as a northern corps member, he took me in a taxi and showed me round town, free of charge. At the end of the orientation camp, I was posted to Holy Mary Hospital, a Catholic Hospital. Unfortunately, it was during the period of electioneering campaign. Many of us were scared. I was bloody scared. I had enjoyed my orientation camp and had a good posting to a hospital which I thought was going to be enjoyable, but the fear and apprehension set in. I decided to go home and perhaps seek redeployment. When I got to Kano and I applied for redeployment, I thought it was going to take a long time but I got it that same day because they were looking for doctors. I was posted to Murtala hospital. Honestly, I regretted not doing service in Owerri. They were so nice. Who knows I might even have come back with an Igbo wife if I had stayed there. After my service, I told my employers, Health Management Board, that I wanted to start my post-graduate programme immediately and they agreed and sponsored me. I went back to Zaria around July 1984. Exactly two years later in 1986, I sat and passed the part one of the national and West African exam which is a major exam for the post-graduate training at first attempt too. Having done a major part of the post-graduate training, I decided to sub-specialize in clinical hematology. At that time, there was no Teaching hospital in the north. I had to go to LUTH where they had a well-established department under the renowned Professor Olu Akinyanju. I came back in 1989 and sat for the part two of the national and West African Colleges and I passed. I returned to Kano and was appointed consultant physician in late 1989. I was posted to the Nasarawa Hospital, now Abdullahi Wase Hospital. The idea was to use Nasarawa to train house officers and we did. I worked with Dr Abalaka of the HIV fame, who was a consultant surgeon. Because of my specialty, I worked three days in Nasarawa and two days in Murtala Hospital. After a year, I was bored and I yearned for academics. I told my employers and they agreed. But I must give the credit to Professor A.M. Yakubu the then Dean of the Department of Medicine, ABU, who kept persuading me and other graduates who had become consultants to come back to the department and take up teaching appointments. In fact, he personally came to Kano to give me my appointment letter. So, I left for Zaria to take up appointment as Consultant Physician and lecturer. A month after, there was a vacancy in the department of hematology. Late Professor Nayaya, then VC, ABU, appointed me Acting HOD of hematology and blood transfusion. Alhamduliha. I became a consultant at the age of 29 and became a head of department at the age of 30. External Links