By Sunday Isuwa
Dr John Ayuba is often referred to as the man of the people. Cool and calm, Dr John Ayuba’s humility, hard work and quest for excellence has endeared him to a lot of people not only in Kaduna State, but Northern Nigeria, Nigeria, Africa and even outside the continent.
It was not surprising to many people to hear that the stakeholders in Kaduna State who are after the unity of the people recommended Dr John Ayuba to be the running mate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections, Hon Isa Ashiru.
In his usual manner, Dr John Ayuba has sacrificed alot for the success of many PDP aspirants in Kaduna State and beyond but yet, he still chooses to remain in the background, uniting the people.
He has always killed his personal ambition just for the unity of his party and the state.
Dr Ayuba has supported a lot of youth publicly and secretly in their chosen professions especially in the banking sector and a lot of them are now doing well.
His association with different classes of people has prompted the youth wing of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) to honour him.
This singular honour among several others he has received, depicts him as someone the youth can trust in an executive office.
When Southern Kaduna PDP new faces raised an issue on the need for their inclusion in the campaign structure of the Ashiru/Ayuba ticket, pundits say they have nothing to fear with the duo on the saddle.
Both Ashiru and Ayuba are lovers and groomers of the youths and as such, they know the role youth can play when it comes to effective representation and governance.
Analysts say with the combination of Ashiru/Ayuba ticket, which signify AA, Kaduna should expect excellent leadership as every interest will be taken care of.
Even in health, AA is a perfect genotype which means that the combination of Ashiru and Ayuba should be what the people of Kaduna State should work for.
Without working for the AA genotype in the 2023 general elections, families and Kaduna people may face difficulties. A family hardly saves money with children whose genotypes point towards sickle cell.
And as such, the AA combination is a vivid description of the kind of leadership that awaits the people of Kaduna State if they work for excellence comes 2023.
“In academic rating, the highest grade is A. The English and most Nigerian tribes’ alphabets start with A. The other name for success or victory is A. It is a devine show of victory with the combination of the AA in the choice of PDP gubernatorial candidate and the running mate in the persons of Ashiru/Ayuba = AA, ” Fidelis Neyu Williams said while commenting on the Ashiru / Ayuba combination for the next year’s contest.
“All we are faithfully and religiously waiting for is the manifestation. Join the AA team, “Williams informed the few youths that are yet to join the train.
Many people in Kaduna State believed that with unity, the State can achieve a lot and they see the combination of AA as a movement they should work for.
The youth from the North, Central and Southern parts of Kaduna State are not spared from the shackles of insecurity, kidnapping, killings and poverty.
Just like how investors think, the youth should know where “the oil is,” because the past seven years have exposed deceptive nuances.
In the northern part of Kaduna State, most of the youths believed that in 2023, the lines of divisions will be closed. Such divisions have not benefited any of the youths except the exponent.
When you talk about people who know and can champion youth empowerment in any part of the world, the name of Dr John Ayuba comes to mind.
Dr Ayuba has kept an enviable record that is difficult to match by his contemporaries. Many see him as the ladder the youth should climb to their greatness.
Born May 15, 1958, Dr Ayuba attended the St Anthony’s primary School Mabushi Kataf from 1965 to 1971 where he obtained his first school leaving certificate.
The death of his father early in 1969 did not dampen his quest for education. He was admitted into the St Joseph’s Seminary Zaria in 1972 where he completed his secondary education in 1976.
Thereafter, Ayuba proceeded to the School of Basic Studies (SBS) Ahmadu Bello University for his A-levels. He graduated with a First Class (Hons) degree in Business Administration from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1980.
He had his mandatory National Service (NYSC) in Ogun state where he taught in a secondary school (Abusi Edumare Academy, Ijebu-Igbo) between 1980 and 1981.
Ayuba later obtained an MBA from the same university in 1982, where he also got his Ph.D. He won the BP prize for the outstanding graduate in Business Administration 1980, came second in order of merit in the MBA Class 1982, and was adjudged the best student in the Ph.D qualifying examination in 1986.
Dr Ayuba was awarded a federal government merit award scholarship in 1980 on account of his academic standing. He had earlier won the Principal’s prize for the best graduating student in the Seminary in 1976.
Dr Ayuba joined the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1981 as a graduate assistant in marketing where he rose to the position of Lecturer I in 1988 before taking up appointment with UTC (Nig) Plc as a Product Manager in 1988.
He rose rapidly to become a Field Manager and later Area Manager (Ops) Kano in 1989 before taking up employment with ICON Ltd (Merchant Bankers) as a Deputy Manager (Credit & Marketing) in July 1989.
Dr Ayuba was promoted Manager in 1991 in charge of general lending where he rose to become Senior Manager and Head of Investment Department between 1993 and 1996.
He joined Inland Bank (Nig) Plc in 1996 as a Principal Manager and Head of Corporate Finance. He was promoted an Assistant General Manager and Group Head, Corporate Banking in 1998 from where he was promoted to Deputy General Manager and later General Manager (Corporate Services) in April 2001 and charged with overseeing the Banking Operations, Risk Asset Management, Human Resources Management and Information Systems Groups up to 2003.
Dr Ayuba joined Lion Bank of Nigeria Plc in December 2003 as General Manager, Investment Banking after serving as a non-Executive Director from 2002 where he oversaw the Corporate Finance/Banking, Treasury, International Operations, and special services departments of the Bank.
He was appointed acting Managing Director/CEO in October 2005, a position he held until the merger of the bank with Diamond Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Following the merger, Dr Ayuba oversaw Diamond Bank’s business development in the North in the areas of Corporate, Commercial and Retail Banking as the Divisional Head.
In July 2011, he was appointed Hon Commissioner of Finance, Kaduna state by His Excellency, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, CON, KSM, KSG, Executive Governor of the state; a position he held until the tragic death of the Governor in a Helicopter crash on 15th December 2012.
Dr Ayuba was later posted as Commissioner for Water Resources, under the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, a position he held until the dissolution of the cabinet on 11th September 2013.
Dr Ayuba has attended several corporate finance and corporate banking programmes at home and abroad including Harvard University, Boston’s OPM Key Executive Programme in 2000 and Chase Manhattan Bank’s Intensive Credit course (1990) in Hammersmith, London.
Dr Ayuba has been actively involved in his Community’s development as far back as 1977 when he was elected secretary-General of the then Kataf Students’ Union ( KSU).
Thereafter he was an active member of the then Kataf Youth Development Association (KYDA), now ATYAP Community Development Association.
He was a founding member of the Atyap Youth Forum Lagos, which was a precursor of the ATYAP Pathfinder Abuja which he co-founded with a number of patriotic Atyap sons and daughters and was its pioneer Chairman from 2001 to 2011 when he left for Kaduna to serve the state.
He, along with another group of patriotic sons and daughters of Atyap moved the community to establish the then Atyap Community Bank in 1993 which translated to the then Atyap Microfinance Bank and now NENZIT Microfinance Bank.
Dr Ayuba has served on the Boards of the Community and successor Banks from 1993 to date where he currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Directors, a position he has held since 2008.
It is noteworthy that the bank has remained one of the most successful banks in Kaduna state with no signs of distress.
Dr Ayuba is a member/fellow of several professional bodies including the Securities and Exchange Commission (Investment Adviser); Nigerian Institute of Management (member); National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (Fellow); Institute of Management Consultants (fellow); Advisory Group on Trade Finance and Export Development in Africa, Afeximbank (member); Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (member); 21st Century Trust, London (fellow) and former Vice President, West African Bankers’ Association (Nigeria). He was a Director of News Africa (UK) Ltd, a magazine for Africa and Africans in the Diaspora based in London.
Dr Ayuba was at one time the second and later first National Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Squash Rackets Association.
Since 1980, Dr Ayuba has placed many students in the University and thereafter secured gainful employment for many people in the banking industry.
He is a Patron of the Association of Kaduna State Residents in Abuja. All these culminated in the Community recognizing him and the Agwatyap bestowing on him with the title of Tafidan Atyap in 2001.
Dr Ayuba was baptized on May 20, 1965 by Rev. Fr. A. Reddington, and received his confirmation rights from Archbishop John McCarthy on December 7, 1969, both at Maria Asumpta Catholic Church, Mabushi.
Dr Ayuba has served the Church in various capacities at his Home Parish (Maria Assumpta Catholic Church, Mabushi Kataf), St Augustine’s of Hippo Kongo Campus Zaria, where he was Chairman of the Church Council in 1988; St Anthony’s Parish, Gbaja Surulere Lagos, where he was Advisor (1997-1999) to the Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JPDC); Holy Family, Festac Town Lagos, where he supported many church groups, and Holy Trinity Parish, Maitama Abuja, where he has been an active member of the Fund Raising Committee for the completion of the church building.
He is a 4th Degree Knight of the Order of St Mulumba, having joined the Order on july 30, 2004.
Dr Ayuba is happily married to Lady Deborah John Ayuba (nee Deborah Duniya Achi) since October 2, 1982 and are blessed with three children Patience, Gloria and John (JR).
Dr Ayuba, the competent running mate to Isa Ashiru enjoys playing squash racket, golf and Darts. With all the qualities, humility and hard work, it is believed that Kaduna youths have nothing to fear as their interests are protected. All they need to do now is to mobilise themselves for a bloc vote for the PDP and their candidates.