Wa, Oct 30, GNA – Alhaji Yakubu Seidu, popularly known as “No Condition is Permanent”, may have been gone today, but his name will certainly continue to remain imprinted in the minds of the people of Upper West Region and beyond.
Like an indelible mark, the life journey of Alhaji ‘Condition’, as he is affectionately called by everyone is one which can be described as “from grass to grace”.
How he rose from a humble beginning as a professional driver to become a well-respected successful business man and a contractor is simply an amazing achievement admired by all.
Life Journey
Born in 1935, Alhaji ‘Condition’ hailed from Tagrayiri, a suburb of Wa and started his professional driving career with the Air Bone Force (ABF) at Tamale in the late 1960s.
In the early 1970s, he moved to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) still in Tamale to continue there as a driver.
Whilst in Tamale, he registered a construction company and by the mid-1970s, he had become one of the leading contractors in the then Upper Region by dint of hard work.
When the Upper West Region was created in 1983, Alhaji Yabubu Seidu then decided to diversify his business and moved to the Upper West Region, where he established the Upland Hotel on August 1, 1987.
Upland which was the first two-star hotel in the region was patronized by both high profile political and business class personalities and had since maintained its standard till date.
He combined both the Hotel and the construction business and extended his construction into the roads sector as well.
Employment
The hotel today employed not less than 40 people and 100s of others in the construction sector. ‘Alhaji Condition’ is among the few top business persons providing employment for the youth of the region.
Political life
As a serious contractor and a business minded person, Alhaji ‘Condition’ gave support to all political parties in terms of resources.
He did this until 2001, where he openly declared support for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and became the first Regional 1st Vice Chairman of the party.
In 2005, he gave up on the position of the 1st Regional Vice Chairman and became one of the party elders in the region and was appointed Chairman of the Regional Patrons from 2012-2017.
He has since then remained an active and a loyal member of the party who gave his support both at the regional and National levels till he died on 30th September, 2020 and was laid to rest on October, 1, 2020.
Family Life
Alhaji Yakubu Seidu is a dedicated family man married to four wives with 14 children and about 20 grandsons. He cared for both nuclear and extended family members without discrimination.
Personality
Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Abubakari, the immediate past Upper West Regional Chairman of the NPP and current member of Council of State described Alhaji Yakubu Seidu’s personality as a very forthright person and a disciplinarian who would always speak the truth at anytime to anyone.
Alhaji Abubari also popularly known as Alhaji Short is one of the many people mentored by Alhaji Yakubu Seidu. He described his late mentor as a very hard working business man who would always not give chance to laziness.
“All those who worked under him are able to establish themselves and are also doing very well today”, he said.
Awards
“As a result of his hard work, Upland Hotel received several awards from the Regional Tourists Board” he added.
Charity
Alhaji Abubakari noted that apart from people he mentored anyone who went to him for support never went back disappointed.
“He was always kind and willing to support anyone who came to him for assistance”, he said.
GNA