Professor Jibril Aminu is dead. He died yesterday June 5 in Abuja at the age of 85. His history has been written by a lot of people and told by so many that mine may not add much to what have been said or written of his achievements in life especially in academic and as an administrator of men and resources.
What would any one add of a man born in 1939 in a then village known as Song in Adamawa state who graduated MBBS from the university of Ibadan in 1965, obtained PhD in Medicine from the Royal Post-Graduate Medical School, London in 1972, became Visiting Professor of Medicine at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC (1979–1980), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, 1980–1985 and Professor of Medicine at the University of Maiduguri (1979–1995)?
My knowledge of Prof. Jibril Aminu was only from a far as my Vice Chancellor at the university of Maiduguri. It was only in 2007 when I campaigned with him for his re-election for the second time as a senator for Adamawa Central that I was opportune to come close. Whatever I can tell of him only started from 2007.
That year in the reelection campaign that gave him the second term as a senator representing Adamawa Central, late Hon. Aminu Hamman Tukur Ribadu was felected as member House of Representatives for Fufore/Song federal constituency while I was elected member House of Assembly for Fufore/Gurin state constituency. Being from the same senetorial zone, the three of us went round the whole of Fufore and Song local government areas and campaigned together in so far the toughest election in the history of politics in Adamawa state.
Earlier in 2006, Prof. Aminu led many of us in several meetings in his house at Asokoro, Abuja and in Dou Girei GRA, Yola where we perfected plans that took over leadership of the PDP in Adamawa state and handed it over to him as President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ‘Link man’ for Adamawa state when the President was perfecting his third term agenda which was eventually torpedoed by Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
From the day I started meeting with him in person, our chemistry met. Professor Aminu took an instant liking in me while I savour wisdom from his reservoir of knowledge. In most general discussions in his living room, I recall, Prof. would conclude by asking me in Fulfulde, ‘ko na non Sadiq’? As if he was looking for confirmation from a small me. I always answered “nonnon barkama” though I was very sure he knew better.
In those superficial interactions we had, I learnt four lessons from the man who was Professor of cardiology, Minister of Education, Minister of Petroleum and the first Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, NUC.
The four lessons I learnt from late Prof. Jibiril Aminu are as follows –
- Lesson Number 1
The first lesson was from what he said at a campaign rally he addressed at Wuro Bokki, a commercial town in Malabu District of Fufore LGA located on the bank of river Benue close to the border with Cameroon.
In his speech at the rally, Prof. Aminu spoke in Fulfulde about one Alhaji Hayatu Mala Iya, who was his staunchest supporter in Wuro Bokki in 1992 when Prof. led a political party known as Congress for National Consensus CNC, during General Ibrahim Babangida’s dubious transition program.
When Prof, addressed the gathering, Alh. Hayatu Mala Iya was absent from the venue. In concluding his speech, Prof. Aminu asked the crowd in Hausa “Ina Alhaji Hayatu Mala Iya ? The crowd roared “ya tafi Adawa”!!!, “ya tafi adawa!!! He then paused momentarily and then asked rhetorically, “yana da dawa ne”? The crowd shouted “bai da shi”! He then said emphaticallly, “zai dawo”.
When he finished his speech, Prof. Aminu sat between Hon. Yarima Aminu Ribadu and I. He then leaned towards me and said to me in Fulfulde “Sadiq, Alh. Hayatu wartan, faljunge dabbititta walde, walde medai dabbutuggo faljunghe”. I said “nonnon barkama”. In Hausa it means ‘duk saniyar da ta bace a daji, ita ke neman garke; garke bai taba neman saniya guda daya tal da ta bace ba.’
The Alhaji Hayatu I knew since 2003 was rich by Wuro Bokki standards, but he was really down by 2007 when we visited.
True to type, ‘wallahi’ two weeks later when Hon. Yerima Aminu Hamman Tukur Ribadu and I returned to Wuro Bokki to campaign as PDP candidates for House of Representatives and House of Assembly respectively, I saw Alhaji Hayatu Mala Iya seated in the front row at our campaign rally.
This time it was my turn to lean towards Yerima Aminu Ribadu when we were fully seated. And when Yerima Aminu brought his right hand ear closer to my mouth, I whispered to him in Fulfulde, “Allah sure Prof. Aminu wolwi go’onga. Nda Alhaji Hayatu Mala Iya jodi ha yeso to”.
Truly in our local political environment, “wanda bashi da dawa, baya adawa.” Truly too,“faljunge dabbititta walde” A politician who, alone, left his or her political party, often returns. I have assimilated this lesson number one.
‘Wanda bashi da dawa baya adawa’. I know many in my political history, who decamped from ruling parties and returned because of ‘rashin dawa’. Prof. ya yi gaskiya.
- Lesson Number 2
The lesson number 2 I learnt from Prof. also happened during a campaign rally. But this second one happened in Song town, the birthplace of Prof. Aminu. In his speech at a very noisy and unruly rally in Song town, Prof. Aminu, like every prophet in his birthplace, was politically unpopular in his birthplace.
In his characteristics erudition, Prof. Aminu shouted a question to the crowd in Hausa, “mutanen Song me yasa baku so na? In mutumin Girei yace bai so na, bashi da laifi, sabida mutanen Girei uku suka fito neman gomna – Alh. Dahiru Bobbo, Sen. Halilu Sardaunan Girei da Alh. Adamu Modibbo”.
The crowd quietened a bit. Then Prof. continued in a louder voice-
“Da Girei suka gagara shiryawa su bar ma mutum daya diga cikinsu ya tsaya gomna, sei muka share su, muka kawo Nyako. Don haka in Girei suka ce basu sona akwai hujja. Amma ku a Song me na chi muku da baku so na?” He asked.
The venue became as quiet as a grave yard. After a few seconds, a young voice shouted from behind – “ba ka bada kudi”! The crowd roared in ecstatic laughter, confirming that Prof. Aminu ‘baya bada kudi’. And everybody knows that Prof. Aminu does not give money.
On hearing this, Prof. shouted back, this time very loudly in Fulfulde “mbadka ma” he shouted. And then he completed in Hausa – “kudi a na bada su ne? Kudi neman su a keyi”!
You can’t beat this. “Kudi neman su a keyi”. Lesson number 2 from Prof.
But from the way the rally ended, I knew Prof. would not win Song. Truly when the votes were turned in, we lost both the Governorship and House of Assembly elections to ACN in Song LGA. This was the election that brought late Hon. Javan Janbali as member House of Assembly for Song state Constituency in 2007.
But the morals in these lessons from Prof. have remained indelible in my mind –
(1) “faljunghe dabbititta walde“
(2) “wanda bashi da dawa baya adawa”,
(3) “ba a bada kudi, kuɗi nemansu a ke’
Prof. yayi gaskiya. ‘O Gongdi’.
- Lesson Number 3
The third lesson I learnt from Prof. Aminu was from a story he told us in his house in Yola also in 2007.
One sunny afternoon that year while discussing human personality in his sitting room in Yola, Prof. Aminu said “human being is the only object that defies the law of optics”.
Well, even though a lawyer, I didn’t know what the law of optics was though I knew ophthalmology, from which the word ‘optics’ came from, is the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye. So I asked Prof. ’Allah sure’ what is the law of optics and how does human beings defy the law of optics”?
In response, Prof, said Sadiq, “the law of optics is that objects appear bigger as you come closer to them”. I said yes “nonnon.” He further explained, “from a far, every object appears small. I said yes, nonnon barkama”. Actually every object become bigger as you get closer to them. Prof. Aminu then continued,
“but it is not the same with human beings”. Then he said “we humans defy the law of optics because whereas objects become bigger as you approach them, human beings become smaller if you come closer and become familiar with them. If you go closer to a man”, he said, “be he an Emir, Minister, Governor or even the President, who you didn’t know before, instead of him becoming bigger to you, he will definitely become smaller because you become familiar to a man, you will come to know their weaknesses until you realise that they are not what you thought they were”. Prof. concluded, “you know familiarity brings contempt”.
I have since found this to be true. Again Prof. ‘gongdi’. He has spoken the truth. ‘Prof. ya fadi gaskiya.This is however metaphorical. People don’t become ‘smaller’ in size. Rather because of familiarity, they become ‘smaller’ as the level of obeisance you gave them, the feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder with which you held them, and the respect you accorded them, would certainly become less once you become closer and more familiar with them. They don’t become ‘smaller’ in size.
It is true therefore that the law of optics which dictates that objects become bigger as one get closer to them does not apply to human beings. Humans defy this law because the closer one gets to a human being, the ‘smaller’ the human becomes, whether he is a ‘jaumu njaudi, lamdo’ or a boss in the office.
‘Kala lamdo, maudo be mardo fu’ that has an inner cycle such as Dogari, PA or office subordinates knows this. Lesson no. 3 learnt.
- Lesson Number 4
The fourth and final lesson I learnt from Prof. Aminu is rather his regret which he expressed to me sometimes in late 2018 while we were travelling in an Aircraft from Abuja to Yola.
I hardly fly Business Class on domestic routes particularly while coming to Yola because I have seen many of my friends who became rich at one point and fly Business Class to Yola or who, on attaining certain official capacity that afford them the cost of Business Class, change their lifestyle only to revert to flying Economy Class when the money finishes or when they are removed from office and become broke. So I don’t want to fall in that class. That was why even when I was speaker, the office bought Business Class ticket for me but I took the first seat on the first row in the Economy Class.
On this particular day, Prof. was in the Business Class on our way to Yola from Abuja. I think only two or three of them were in the first class cabin. While passing him to go to the Economy Class, I stooped down and greeted him with humility and respect. He acknowledged me and said to me in Fulfulde “Hon. war jodu kombi am do”. Meaning come and seat by my side. I nodded, but went to the economy class, put my brief case into a compartment above my seat in the Economy Class, returned to the Business Class and sat beside Prof. Aminu. The cabin crew served me business class food and drinks but did not ask for my ticket.
The Aircraft taxied from the tarmac onto the runway and took off smoothly. As soon as we reached cruising altitude Prof. Aminu unlatched his seatbelt and turned to me. He spoke to me for 55 minutest until we started final descent into Yola Airport.
Two things that he said to me during this trip humbled me the more. First the whole Prof. Aminu himself said to me, “I am proud of you Sadiq. You are really representing me in the National Assembly. Please keep it up”.
The second thing Prof. Aminu told me on this journey which he said was one of his “greatest regrets in life” happened when he was Minister of petroleum from 1989-19992 when he had an encounter with Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, a prince of Sokoto and the then Sarkin Shanun Sokoto who was Minister of Planning and Finance and the present Sardaunan Sokoto.
What Prof. told me about this encounter, though nothing could change the fact of his decision about it now, has left my eyes clouded with emotion. I have promised never to tell anybody. I will die with this secret.
May Allah forgive Prof. Jibril Aminu and admit him in jannat firdausi. Allah yaafu Prof. Amimu. Jaumirawo feunanmo mbaldi mako. Allah jikanshi da rahma.
