For many of us, the name Professor Abdullahi Mahdi echoes three things: An epitome of integrity, a lover of green environment, a father-teacher. Those of us who were students when Professor Mahdi held sway as the Vice Chancellor of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, we eulogise his quality leadership style.
Mahdi had demonstrated how a true leader should be.
He was a leader that did not only diligently discharge his responsibilities, but always went the extra mile to ensure that the interest and welfare of those under his authority, particularly students, were well protected.
More than two decades since we departed, he occupies a special part of our memory. His legacies are still part of what we are enjoying as lecturers at ABU. We revere Mahdi as a model and his disposition as VC has made significant contribution in molding the characters that we are today.
Mahdi is reminiscent of a good teacher. He doubled as a teacher and father to his students. Therefore, the news of Professor Mahdi’s death was shocking, just as it was a cause for reflection.
We were fully on campus as students when Mahdi reigned as the Vice Chancellor of ABU. The way and manner this icon handled the general affairs of ABU has remained fresh in our memories.
Aside his steadfastness in providing adequate care for us, his other side that many of us find difficult to forget is his love for a green environment.
The efforts of Mahdi to spur ABU to academically maintain its place of pride of the best among equals did not in any way hinder his strides of making the university to become the cherished queen of all lovers of an elegant green environment.
Mahdi is dear to us since our “Aluta” days largely because of the fact that, he was to us what a father is to his children. Many of us could still vividly recall how he sacrificed his comfort, sometimes risked his life as well as put his safety on the line, just to ensure that we get the best out of ABU.
He worked hard to ensure that we went through ABU not the other way around.
On many instances, for example, Mahdi will “sneak” into the students’ hostels, lecture halls, libraries and even social centres alone just to ensure that all was well with his students.
On one of such instances, many students were rudely shocked to see Mahdi in their hostel moving from one room to another at the wee hours of the night just to see for himself whether the basic amenities that were supposed to be in hostels have been provided.
Some of our colleagues that used to engage in “till dawn jacking” were severally taken aback by Mahdi. He will stroll into lecture theatres at rare hours to convince himself that it was reading that was taking place not sinister activities. Having satisfied his intuition, Mahdi will take a few minutes to deliver “night” lectures to the “jacking students”, enumerating techniques of passing examination.
In fact, during his famous tenure at ABU, Mahdi could be found everywhere and at an unexpected time. While sitting at the library reading, Mahdi could saunter in, in his usual slink and stealthy style, to see for himself whether the generator was on, especially when “NEPA” had “taken off” its supply.
Mahdi’s care for his students knew no bounds. It was common happening at that time for students moving in groups to be intercepted by an old Peugeot car. Mahdi will alight and demand to know your destination.
He used such encounters with students, especially, to fish out lecturers that used to fix lectures at odd hours; either early morning or late evening.
Mahdi used to take it personal whenever a case of sexual harassment was reported. He will personally ensure that the case is investigated and the culprit brought to book.
Mahdi’s tenure was therefore a hell for randy lecturers, as the only case that was not investigated was the one that was not reported. Anything that touched on the welfare of students used to be a personal affair for Mahdi, as such included in his priority list.
The love and fear of Mahdi were infectious throughout our stay on campus. I could recall when one of our colleagues was crushed to death by a speeding car on the Zaria-Sokoto highway, which passes through the gates of ABU main campus. As it is with students, we decided to heap our anger and frustration on the school management. So, demonstration started and we went to the entrance of the Senate building. Mahdi, the fearless that he was, came down from the 8th floor, where the VC’s office is located, to address us.
However, a mild drama ensued midway into Mahdi’s address. A discerning voice from the crowd wailed “you are very stupid”. The demonstration was abandoned and commotion supervened.
A section of the demonstrating students went after the person that insulted “our father, Mahdi”. Most of the students present began searching and demanding the head of the person that hurled an insult at “our father”. That was how the demonstration ended discourteously; with students fighting one another. A demonstration against management nonchalance metamorphosed to “Aluta” fighting “Aluta”.
One of the most memorable moments of Mahdi’s VC-ship was his ability to change the environmental outlook of the university. ABU was adorned with flower beds. The most prominent were the garden and green areas demarcated at the main gate of the university’s Samaru main campus.
The green areas up to the roundabout leading to the Senate building are till today a beauty to behold. Students have since turned the green areas dotted with different types of flowers into picnic centre.
The green areas and flower beds that now add to the beauty of ABU campus did not just emerge from the blues, but by sheer hard work with Mahdi at the helm of ABU’s affairs. I remember how the fear of strolling on those flowers became the beginning of wisdom. If one wants to see the palpable anger of Mahdi, just step on the flowers.
It became crystal clear to many of us that it was better and safer to stroll on the carpet of VC’s office than to step on the flowers and green areas around the campus. Mahdi will always not hesitate to bring his car to a stop to issue a stern warning to a student or any other person for that matter that he sees stepping on the flowers or any green area around the campus.
In fact, on many occasions, sanction followed stepping on campus flowers. For this, we gave the flower beds and green areas on the campus the alias “Mahdi flowers”.
In fact, up to this moment, as a lecturer at the university, I find it very difficult to step on flowers on ABU campus. Being a product of Mahdi’s era, the fear of stepping on “Mahdi’s flowers” is still restraining me.
I was not surprised therefore when I visited the Gombe State University Campus for the first time to find it reminiscent of ABU. We were in Gombe for the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), North East, national conference that was to take place at the Federal University, Kashere. We had a stopover at Gombe, hence we visited the state university in the night. Immediately we approached the gate many of us on the bus exclaimed with excitement “wow, this is Gombe’s ABU.”
That was how Mahdi turned things around at Gombe State University after leaving ABU. Because of that feat, he was invited again by the Gombe State government to start another university from the scratch; the assignment he executed with his usual diligence and earned him accolades from Gombe citizens and beyond.
Professor Abdullahi Mahdi has paid his dues for Nigeria, his state, his students and humanity in general. He has seen and conquered his world. Our prayer is for Allah (swt) to forgive all his shortcomings and honour him with Aljannatul Firdausi.
We love you Malam, but Allah loves you more. Till we meet to part no more. Inna lillahi wa’inna ilia-raji’uun; indeed we are all from Allah and to Him, we shall certainly return.
Isa Sa’idu, PhD, is of the Department of Political Science and International Studies, ABU, Zaria
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