I met Alhaji Lawal Isa, the National Operations Coordinator, Nigerian Association Of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), through, Alhaji Sani Ibrahim, popularly known as Sani Dan Mai juju, whom Alhaji Lawal Isa would always like to refer to as Presido with the utmost respect accorded, due to the fact,in the old Western Region, he was the founder of the Nigerian Transport Owners Association (NTOA).While in the East, you had the Road Haulage Association(ERHA). In the North, there was the Northern Association of Licensed Buying Agents and Transporters, (NALBAT). It was the amalgamation of the three above-mentioned regionally based transport associations that gave birth to the NARTO in January, 1990.
After more than two decades out of Nigeria, in far away Washington DC, the USA, where I worked with the VOA, NPR Radio, C SPAN, Africa Voice Publications, Islam On Line; I returned in 2004, and Alhaji Sani Ibrahim took me to Alhaji Lawal Isa, and introduced me to him saying, “this is Ali, my ‘baby’ brother just coming back from America”. This was how, for the first time, I met Alhaji Lawal Isa, and went on to say, “from America fa! With his degrees, we need to tap his wealth of experience, though we cannot afford to pay him well enough, but he is our own and we need that experience which would be his contributions to our organization before his friends in influential places snatch him away.” Alhaji Lawal Isa then said “Ali is hereby attached to you”, he concluded.
Acknowledging, Alhaji Sani Ibrahim’s submission, Alhaji Lawal Isa gracefully and majestically raised his eyes and looked at me, then extended his hands and shook me, with humility. I grabbed his hands warmly, and he said to me, “Ali, ‘sannu dazuwa’, and welcome on board the NARTO”. Alhaji Lawal Isa’s inspiration and vision saw the NARTO not only survived, but excelled to become a success story that it is today. I served the NARTO as Public Affairs Analyst.
After spending some years in the NARTO, I came to recollect meeting Alhaji Lawal Isa way back in his hey days in the 1980s, when he was the Secretary of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) of the late Waziri Ibrahim. I was a young journalist, working with the NTA Kano. Alhaji Lawal Isa was an exemplary party Secretary. He was like the heart of the party. Recognizing his potentials, talent and courage on the political stage of those glorious days, one would believe the chieftains of the party accorded him all the support and trust, tackling the affairs of the party justifiably.
I remember vividly when he would accompany his comrade friend, Sully Abu, who was the Press Secretary to the late Governor Abubakar Rimi, whenever the latter came to bring press release to our newsroom for the afternoon or evening broadcast. In many instances they came together. The Press Secretary always cameto NTA Kano newsroom with Government House press releases. The ruling party in Kano then was the People Redemption Party (PRP), while the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the ruling party at the federal level.
Alhaji Lawal Isa always recalled his political days with no apology. He would say, “our political era was the best, because it was about ideology, philosophy, transparency and accountability. It was about pride and integrity,” adding that “the only reason I do not bother to engage in any partisan politics today is because politics in Nigeria sucks! Politicians these days have no shame and pride. Easily they would compromise their integrity and bargain their worth.”
In journalism Alhaji Lawal Isa was a front runner in both print and electronic media. He used to write for the Northern Star Newspapers. Before venturing into broadcasting by joining the Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) now (FRCN) along with some of his great like minds and colleagues, such as Muhammad Ibrahim, Aliyu Hayatu and Ahmed Aminu, he was a confidant of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and eventually became councilor in Shagamu Local Government in the early 1960s. He perhaps was the first Northerner to such a position there.
A flamboyant and cosmopolitan personality, Alhaji Lawal Isa was a shining star in every aspect he delved into. In the transport industry, he was friend to many prominent transporters and petroleum dealers. Of note among his friends is Chief Ezekwesile, the proprietor of 1st Forty Hotel, the complex that housed his office until his demise. An impeccable writer and translator, Alhaji Lawal Isa spoke fluent Yoruba . He was an orator in Hausa language, his mother tongue.
Far from being just a teacher, Alhaji Lawal Isa was an institution. I learnt a lot from him by motivational achievement, transparency and accountability. With some of my closest friends like Engr. Faruk Umar (Kuren Daga), we all consumed and robbed in wisdom, from this heroic, bold, fearless intellectual disposition.
Born on September 24th, 1936 in Rututu, Kauran Namoda Local Government of Zamfara State, our fallen hero was a pleasant personality, tall and very charismatic. His demise is a traged, and great loss to the NARTO.
YALLABAI, as we admiringly nick named you, you have gone away. Since you left us all of a sudden, all you did to provide direction and a better life for all those who you touched their hearts have remained a point of reference, manifesting the mould of true leadership.
Alhaji Lawal Isa is survived by a wife, daughter and many grand and great grand children. He was a dutiful husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather to the core. His sense of humor will make you your heart content out, while his scholarship and intellect will keep you on your toes. Strong, and hardworking, he did not compromise merit, never relented nor despaired; always good to go, on the going. His NARTO’s office located at the 1st Forty Hotel, Aminu Kano Crecent, Wuse 2, Abuja, has been our hideout, frequenting the place always in the spirit ofpaying homage to the great elder , while he reciprocates with his warm reception and hospitality with the utmost generosity to the extent that you just got too spoiled.
The fateful day of his death was Thursday March 7, 2013, at Kelina Hospital, in Gwarinpa. He was buried at Tudun Wada cemetery in Kaduna on the same day, according to Islamic rites.
Alhaji Lawal Isa’s indelible trademarks as an administrator, broadcaster, politician and transporter will stand the test of time.We are already feeling the agony and anguish of the fact that we will never see you again, ever, till the day our own times come up, and to our graves. Innalillahi Wainnailaihir Raji’uun.
Losing him was not just to his immediate family, relatives, close friends and associates, or his local government and state, but a big loss to the country and humanity in general. May Allah forgive Alhaji Lawal Isa, and grant him Jannatul Firdaus, the best abode. Amin
Abdullahi [email protected]
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