“The true worth of a man is not measured by the amount of wealth he acquires but by the number of lives he impacted positively.”
I still cannot believe that in a few weeks (precisely 11th September 2023), it would be exactly one year since you passed on. Words still fail me whenever I try to write a tribute in your honour; the wounds open up anew, the pain and emotions all come flooding back.
Every soul shall taste death, that is an undeniable fact. However old one gets, his loved ones always hope to see him each day, but unfortunately for us (family, friends and dependents), it will never happen again. The reality is: no one is immune to such pain and no matter how it is explained, no one can grasp that feeling, that agony, that anguish except when it is experienced.
Daddy lived a life worthy of emulation, he was a friend to all, young and old, rich and poor, those in position of authority and those without. He loved his country and his family to a fault and would never sacrifice his morals, his beliefs for anyone. He was strict as he was simple, always willing to help people in every way he can. We are witnesses to your humility and kindness, but never did we know that it would surpass all our expectations.
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After your passing, your friends, colleagues, superiors and juniors from the military gave testimonies of your courage, professionalism, honesty and above all your integrity. The people you helped during your tenure as the Chairman of the Lagos Ports Operations Committee (LPOC popularly referred to as the ‘Cement Armada” of 1976-77) gave us accounts of your uprightness, your refusal to be bribed or coerced to do what was wrong and how you led a life of servitude to Allah and your country.
As a Northern elder Alhaji Gidado Mukhtar said “Be proud to have known Sabo Aliyu, but be more proud that he was your father. Imagine in a country of millions of people, he was chosen to do a job because everybody can vouch for his character, honesty and integrity. He finished his assignment without any blemish or even a cup of cement missing.”
You stood for the truth no matter whose ox was gored. The late Air Vice Marshall Abdul Rahman Muhammad said “Col. Sabo Aliyu was the last of a dying breed of competent and noble soldiers who put the country first. The history of Nigeria would never be complete without your name.”
From your bravery at Omoku, your efforts at checkmating the Dimka and co group during the failed coup that led to the death of late General Murtala Muhammad, to the role you played in bringing Major General Muhammadu Buhari rtd. to power and your active participation in it, which turned out to be your last outing (Commander Brigade of Guards) as a military officer etc. were things you kept away from us, but as a gold fish that has no hiding place, your heroic deeds were revealed to us after your passing.
Uban Marayu (father of Orphans) was the name given to you by many because of your philanthropy, your ever willing nature to help and sacrifice for the betterment of others is a trait that we will strive to match. One thing that gladdens my heart is the fact that everybody we meet, once your name is mentioned, only has nice things to say about you. During your funeral, I witnessed grown men cry, I saw crowds of people, most of whom we know not, come to pay their last respects to a man who came, saw and left the world a better place. You may be gone, but in our hearts, you will always remain till we meet again to part no more.
You have made us proud to be your children, you rejected the pleasures of this world for the trust and acceptance of the Almighty Allah. Ya Allah, reward our father Col. AbdulAzeez Sabo Aliyu with the highest rank in Aljannatul Firdaus, Ameen.
As I conclude this tribute, it would be fitting to end it with a quote you love “Soldiers never die, they simply fade away.” Adieu my hero, a father like no other!
Abubakar Sabo Aliyu is an Assistant Director at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and a son to the late Colonel. He wrote via [email protected]