From Shuaibu Idris Miqati
As the saying goes, there is a time to live and a time to leave. Such is the story of every human being. When I received the sad news of the passing away of a dear friend and boss, it was, to say the least, devastating, painful, and indeed, extremely difficult to come to terms with. However, as Muslims, we say that from Allah we all came and to him we shall return.
It was in 1987 while working in a merchant bank that I came to know Alhaji Sani Dangote as a customer. He and his two brothers: Alhaji Aliko and the late Alhaji Bello were running a family business and were coming to transact businesses with the bank. As a young banker, I was saddled with the responsibility of managing the relationship as an account officer.
The relationship between the bank and customers involved funding of import and export of commodities like cocoa, gum Arabic, cotton lint sugar, flour, salt and others.
It was an excellent relationship as the customer was regular in timely repayment of facilities extended. Businesses were expanding and the relationship became even more personal beyond a banker/customer relationship.
Sani Gote, as he was fondly called by friends and associates, would come to the bank, full of energy, dynamism and passion. He made meticulous presentation of transactions requiring either financial support, or simply advise. In most instances, we seldom had little, very little indeed to add to the ideas and thought processes brought by Alhaji Sani. The level of intellectual pedigree, researching of materials on subject matter and the support documents usually prepared and submitted by Alhaji Sani amazed many.
Sani, although by any standard a silver spoon personality, moved about an air of gentility, humility and esteem. He moved with grace, poise and dignity. He would greet everyone he came across, irrespective of age or knowledge of the person. Even his enemies, if he had any, would attest to this fact. Sani could walk into any gathering without being noticed. The aura and magnificence of the way he walked gave one the chance to see class, taste and quintessence in him. Sani electrified any environment with his appearance.
Alhaji Sani, a devout Muslim, consummate family man and bridge builder, was also a peacemaker at all times. He never engaged in unnecessary arguments.
During discussions, Sani would insist on his viewpoint with reasons. Oftentimes, in the face of superior position of facts, he yielded only after sufficiently being convinced about reasons adduced. His ways of reasoning could best be described as that of an inquisitive researcher or natural/pure science expert.
I can claim to be one of the few subordinates of Alhaji Sani that he often listened to. I had a measure of influence on him as my suggestions were almost always considered, sometimes even against his wish, because of the respect I earned.
We related extremely well and were fairly close while I was in the bank and even after I left banking.
A transaction that brought us closer was while I was assigned the responsibility to sell a distressed asset (a textile factory located in Kano) and I suggested to the family to buy. After several efforts to convince his brother, Alhaji Aliko to buy the company and venture into industrial production, the family agreed, a decision that signalled their foray into the manufacturing business.
Alhaji Aliko left the textile firm for Alhaji Sani to run, and he was coming regularly for one thing or another from the bank. This transaction and the running of the textile factory brought us so close that we were seeing almost daily. We were visiting Kano regularly and this afforded us an opportunity to visit his mum often together, and as such, I became an adopted member of the family.
Somehow, in 2002, after several efforts, I agreed to work for the Dangote Group. He was happy that although I didn’t join them earlier, either in the company or Liberty Bank, a financial institution they used to own, I finally joined the family to add my bit to the development of an African giant.
Few years after joining the group, there was a need to post me to his office as special adviser/assistant. While in that capacity, I helped to raise funds to set up Dansa juice, Alsan Insurance Brokerage Company and a host of other factories.
Alhaji Sani made me a member of the Board of Directors of some of these companies, such as Alsan Insurance Brokers, Nasal Insurance etc.
A detribalised Nigerian, Alhaji Sani touched many lives. He was always ready to help. He listened to people, offered alternative solutions and views, interrogated issues and formed opinions. He intervened in matters relating to family, business, government and anything that were brought to his attention.
He was a role model to many people. To family members and friends, Sani was loyal to a fault. He could deliver a business idea he conceived, nurtured and developed to a relative and move on without ill feelings. He often interceded between persons and his brothers or amongst family members because of the respect he commanded within the family as a result of being just and equitable.
He had the listening ears of the powerful and mighty. Sani could be approached on the road for assistance and he would wait to listen. Such qualities are extremely rare and in short supply today, at least not from people of his calibre.
Even after I left the services of the Dangote Group, we remained close to each other. On several occasions he would invite me for discussions on issues pertaining to business and other matters.
I served as a technical person when Alhaji Sani and Mr Emmanuel Ijewere set up the Nigeria Agri Business Group (NABG), which served as an adviser to governments on agricultural issues.
I recall that when Dr Akinwinmi Adesina, the then minister of agriculture, wanted a decent and competent person to be appointed as the managing director of the Bank of Agriculture, he requested Alhaji Sani to help look for the candidate. He reached out to me to help with the head hunting exercise. I got candidates, and without seeing or speaking with any of them, Alhaji Sani gave the names to the minister. He never asked me where the candidates were from, language they spoke or the religion they practised. One of them got the job. Several months after the appointment, the person neither called nor paid a visit to Alhaji Sani as a mark of appreciation, yet when I met him and the matter was brought up, he said he didn’t feel it was necessary. He said, “My concern is that the person should be happy with the job and delivering as expected.” Such is the life of Alhaji Sani Dangote. He did not expect anything from anyone, not even thanks.
He was a coach in business and the polo sport, which he loved and cherished most.
As an entrepreneur, Sani’s foray into so many businesses is a testimony of his acumen. Sani and I went to Ghana to explore tomato puree business, as well as Guinea Bissau for oil related businesses. Niger Republic, Togo and Benin Republics, to mention but a few, all enjoyed Sani’s business acumen in one way or another. One can write a book on this matter alone.
The death of Alhaji Sani Dangote is a personal loss to me. It is certainly not a loss to his immediate family alone but to mankind and humanity.
We never brought death near even with the ailment he suffered for years. I spoke to him few weeks to his death and we were full of hope as one of the companies under his management had a change of directors and he retained me as one of the directors of the company.
It has taken me such a long time to write these few lines because every time I sat by my computer, I felt down and in pains. We lost a rare gem, peacemaker, pillar and supporter of the family. Unfortunately, many misunderstood Sani and mistook him for what he was not and treated him unfairly, yet he never held grudges. He would say, “Leave people with their thoughts.” He recognised mischievous persons around him and his brother, yet he would rather leave the sleeping dogs to sleep well.
May Allah, in his infinite mercies forgive Alhaji Sani Dangote all his sins and grant him aljannah firdaus, amin. I will forever pray for your eternal rest in perfect peace.
Miqati (mni) wrote from Lagos.
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