That particular Kano trip stood out among the many editorial tours I undertook in the course of my journalistic career because it yielded a bountiful harvest. In all, we had 12 powerful stories, including an interview with a woman with withered hands and crippled disfigured legs who still managed to cook sumptuous dishes with the use of those same legs! We photographed every stage of the cooking process as the woman manipulated her toes to pick up the spoon, mix the ingredients and put the aluminium pot on her small kerosene stove!
I could not resist telling Emir Bayero the inspiring story of that woman several days later when I interviewed him. He went philosophical. There was nothing life could throw at a good Muslim that he/she would not be able to cope with as long as the person realised that Allah is the Lord of man’s destiny, he said. Whatever the situation, one must demonstrate humble acceptance of of Allah’s will and make the best of the circumstances. He gave me a lecture/sermon. In the end I had no doubt that behind that big turban was an active, deeply spiritual and sagacious mind.
We went on to witness how he spent his day and came to the realisation that the contribution of the traditional institution to social cohesion and national development was yet to be fully appreciated. Emir Bayero was a religious leader, counsellor, ruler, family man in every sense of that word, arbiter, and repository of tradition and culture, humanist and social engineer.
I was not carried away by the simplicity and humility of the emir. Here was a traditional ruler and Muslim leader whose ancestors had the power of life and death; a successful businessman, former banker, police officer, parliamentarian and diplomat. Ado dan Abdullahi Bayero dan Muhammad Abbas had traversed many specialities before he ascended the throne as the 13th Fulani emir of Kano since the Usman dan Fodio Jihad.
Independent Nigeria was only three years old when Bayero became emir. In the 50 years that he ruled, Kano was transformed from a traditional trading town to a megacity that serves as a melting pot. Although that city’s status as magnet of trade and commerce has been threatened in recent years — and lately the terrorist scourge afflicting some northern states almost brought the ancient city to its knees, Bayero had always been the recurring decimal in socio-political developments not only in the North but also in the country — from the First Republic, through the Civil War years to military rule and return to democracy. He was as constant as the Northern star.
The death in 1966 of many political gladiators of northern extraction, and the subsequent establishment of a unitary state, resulted in a spate of violence all over the North, including Kano. Many analysts credit Bayero with bringing calm and stability during that and subsequent crises in Kano. It is noteworthy that he sustained his friendship with Emeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu till the secessionist leader passed on a couple of years ago.
The fact that he presided over an ancient emirate did not make him behave like an ancient man. As emir, he became a patron of Islamic scholarship and embraced Western education. He was a modern, urbane citizen of the world. The way he combined his religious and traditional roles with the imperative to move with the times was a tribute to his capacity to separate grain from chaff. His famous friendship with the Ooni of Ife and the Obi of Onitsha had national symbolism and not a few political leaders took a cue from that. Bayero built bridges of friendship and brotherly love across the Niger thereby etching his name in the minds of many of his countrymen and women who now consider themselves orphaned by his demise.
When, on 19th January 2013, he was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists, his traditional bodyguard paid the supreme price than witness the murder of their beloved emir. That incident alone reminded me of Bayero’s lecture about destiny aforementioned. I told myself that this man of destiny was definitely not destined to be humiliated and ‘deleted’ by misguided extremists.
Fare thee well, Emir Bayero. May the reward reserved for those who faithfully serve their Maker and their fellowmen and women never pass you by.
For Dora
News of the death of Dora Akunyili hit the nation last Saturday. The funeral procession of tweets, text messages, emails and other social media messages were a testimony to the fact that this remarkable woman impacted on many lives positively and that the nation is diminished by her passing.
Dora Nkem Akunyili was born in Makurdi to Chief and Mrs Paul Young Edemobi on the 14th of July 1954. The mother of six rose to national prominence when she was appointed as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC). She demonstrated unequalled passion and patriotism in the way she used the organisation to help Nigeria achieve minimum standards.
Thanks to Akunyili, dealers in fake drugs and sub-standard foods have been largely routed. She left a legacy of unblemished national service. Not for her the narrow ethnicism of some of her compatriots in government. It is on record that Akunyili waged the fiercest battles against the pedlars of fake and adulterated drugs in her home state of Anambra. A lesser mortal would have looked the other way.
Her tenure as information minister was rather brief. But she had proved herself a model in patriotic public service. No wonder she was one of the most decorated Nigerians of her time. Dora did not just pass through Nigeria as a mere passenger; she lived for something. We have lost an amazon. The Heavens have gained an angel.
