Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata was born on the 22^nd June, 1962 at Fagge Local Government of Kano State. He started his Quranic education at the age of three and later began his western education in 1968 at Fagge Primary School and upon completion in 1975, he proceeded to Kano Community Commercial College which is now called Aminu Kano Commercial College for his secondary education, wherein 1980 he obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE ‘O’ Level). Thereafter he proceeded to Bayero University, Kano in 1984 where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons.) Degree in Economics. He did his National Youth Service (NYSC) in 1985 in Sokoto State where he started his teaching career. His passion and quest for knowledge motivated him to undertake a Master of Development Studies in 2001 from Bayero University, Kano.

CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

 Upon completion of NYSC, he returned back to Kano and took up a full-time teaching employment with the Ministry of Education in 1985, where he taught, economics and business education in various secondary schools and rose to the rank of Inspector of Education. Later, in 1994 he transferred his service to the Kano State Housing Corporation as Principal Planning Officer and in 1997, he voluntarily retired from the civil service career.

BUSINESS AND POLITICALCAREER

After retirement from Civil Service, Rt. Hon. Ata used his acquired experience in the civil service to translate them into vision for the progress and development of his constituents. He first of all translated his experience of construction and real estate development acquired from Housing Corporation to develop his business enterprise where he privately engaged in construction and real estate.

His political career started with the aborted 4^th Republic during General Sani Abacha in 1997 where he joined the Center Party. While in 1999 his constituents, called upon him to contest for the position of member representing Fagge Constituency in the State House of Assembly, this bid proved successful where he became among the only 5 candidates elected into the House under the defunct All Peoples Party (APP). His pedigree in economics and financial management made him to be appointed the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

In between 2003-2007, Rt. Hon Ata was appointed Special Adviser to Governor on Assembly Matters and later was appointed as Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs where he contributed immensely by establishing relationship between tiers of Government in Kano and across the country. Rt. Hon resigned his political appointment and continued empowering his constituents from the corpus of his real estate and construction businesses.

Rt. Hon. Ata was re-elected into the Kano State House of Assembly in 2011 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), where he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Finance as well as member of various other Committees (2011-2015).

 A number of political parties merged to form a mega political party for 2015 election bids, this move gave birth to the All Progressive Congress (APC), and Rt. Hon. Ata was not left behind to join. This can be attributed to his passion on standing for justice, equity and commitment to the cause of common-man which he shares same with President Muhammadu Buhari. This common vision and aspirations guided him to join APC since its formation to date. It is on this cause, he led the House Members of APC in 2014-15 to canvass for the then Deputy Governor, His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to contest for Governorship in 2015. Rt. Hon. Ata was also the only House Member of APC who, against all odds, came out to campaign and voted for Muhammadu Buhari at the APC primary convention where he emerged as the flag bearer for 2015 Presidential election. This was despite the fact that the incumbent Gov. Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso was contesting too.

Rt. Hon. Ata contested in 2015 election and got and re-elected for the 3^rdtime into the House of Assembly, with the APC sweeping all the 40 seats. He was appointed by the ruling APC and its House caucus to be the Majority Leader. Rt. Hon. Ata stands to be a strong advocate for the independence of the legislature and he garners state and national acclaim for his innovative approaches to educational and health sector reforms; public finance management systems; public participation in governance; infrastructural, economic growth and development. Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata has also served on panels of many Ad-hoc and House Standing Committees like: Committees on Judiciary, Health, Land and Physical Planning, Works, Housing and Transport, Pilgrim Welfare, etc. He has contributed immensely during debates on motions and during bills passages throughout, as a floor member and House Leader.

With his predecessor’s (Rt. Hon. Kabiru Alasan Rurum from Rano Constituency) resignation, Rt. Hon Ata’s spirit of team work as a House Leader coupled with his acknowledged moral uprightness endeared him to his colleagues, where they unanimously casted their votes for his election as the Speaker on the 3^rd July, 2017, as a Presiding Officer, he steers the legislative proceedings and holds grips of the House. He is a well committed democrat in the State, who has been committed to Rule of Law, Equity and Justice to protect the weak, nurture the poor and provide peace and stability to the minds of people Kano State. He is a man who earns respect of the people, because he does not distance himself from them which are the essence of representation and leadership.

Kano State House of Assembly under the dynamic leadership of Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata has passed many bills of high impact capacity which have been assented into law. Among them are:

1. The Kano state Health Institution Management Board Law 2017 which is a law created to establish a body to supervise Private Hospitals and Clinics. It is meant to strengthen and enhance private health facilities and to give value for money to clients;
2. Kano Health Trust Fund Law, 2017 which is meant to improve and assess health care to civil servants
3. the Kano State Persons with Disability Law 2018 a Private Bill supported by the Millennium for Development (a DFID funded Project) which later led the House received an award from the Association of Kano State People Living with Disabilities;
4. In order to enhance the speedy dispensation of justice, Rt. Honorable Abdullahi Ata this year 2018, expedited the amendment of the Kano State Magistrate Court 1991 Law where it increased the jurisdictions of magistrate courts and their numbers in the state.

5. Kano State Ultramodern Hospitals, which is meant to provide quality service delivery and effective management system at Mohamadu Buhari Specialist Hospital at Giginyu and that Pediatrics Hospital at Zoo Road, 2018

The Kano State House of Assembly under the able leadership of Rt. Honorable Yusuf Abdullahi Ata has passed resolutions advising the government on policy direction and implementation. Ans the government under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been implementing them. This has brought much cordial relationship between the two organs with consultation and facilitation on all its ramifications.

EXTRA CURRICULUM ACTVITIES

Rt. Hon Ata was a celebrated midfielder and a top scorer for Zumunta Football of kano in the 1980s which played in the Premier’ League of Kano State, Rt. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata has traveled widely to countries like: US. UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia etc. He lives with his mother, four wives, children and relatives.

CONCLUSION

As at now, June, 2018 (less than a year in office), the Kano State House of Assembly under the able leadership of Rt. Honorable Yusuf Abdullahi Ata had passed 10 bills into law; the highest recorded number in the history of Kano State House of Assembly, further to this, under the dynamic leadership of Rt. Hon. Ata, the House resolved to conducting quarterly oversight on all MDAs, where all House Standing Committees report the activities of their sectors with a view to establishing the required legislative framework for transparency and accountable governance. Impressed with his good performance as a speaker, his achievement have been noticed and acknowledged both at state and national level which earned him series of awards.