I first saw Malam Wada Abdullahi Maida in the final days of 2018 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on my way to Katsina via Kano after an End of the Year Retreat. My Manager Programmes, Ibrahim Balarabe (himself a veteran journalist) introduced me to Malam Wada while we waited for our Max Airlines plane.
While at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Wada Maida shocked me to the marrow. He was with one of his children, but still carried his traveling bag. When Balarabe and I wanted to help him take it, he insisted that we should instead concentrate on taking ours.
A retinue of Airport officials were on hand to welcome Maida. He carried this smile that weakened his enemies and he used that smile to pay the airport officials.
He was ushered into a waiting Hilux to Katsina. Few days after that meeting, we went to see him in his GRA house in Katsina.
After that meeting, we went back to see him a week later. I sat (among many people) at the waiting sitting room while he and Balarabe were at the inner sitting room. After some time, Balarabe asked me to join them.when I entered, sat with them. Wada spoke softly. “Iro Bala (Balarabe) ya ce mun kana son aiki da NAN?” He asked me to which I answered in the affirmative.
He took a gentle breath. “Kai da Ka ke a broadcast, me za ka yi a NAN? Let’s see if there are openings in FRCN or BBC. I’ve people there. I’ll talk to them. But ask Iro Bala, I don’t force people to do things for me. I can call anyone and order them to give you job but I would not do that. We need to wait for the right time, that’s when they’re recruiting or replacing some of their staff. That would be better. If it’s NAN that you want to join, I don’t have problem with that”
Having listened to his ‘sermon’ for close to ten minutes, I thought he was testing my understanding of this world. So, when he said if he wanted to work with the NAN, he would have no problem, I told him I would wait.
Before we left that evening, he told me to keep in touch and that he would let me know whenever there was something for me.
Later, I learned through his brother, my colleague Abdurashid Maida, that Malam would never promised something he couldn’t do. Once he said “I will help you” shikenan.
Malam Wada was someone who would do the right thing no matter what. He was what we called ‘Bature‘. When he built a big shopping plaza on Dutsin Ma road, he called us to meet him again. He wanted to advertise the plaza through our radio station. We met his lawyer and a friend.
After three months of running the jingle, we found out that there was no much progress because people were reluctant to patronising the plaza. I told Balarabe that the plaza was very far from the city centre, hence the reluctance. Balarabe said I should talk to Wada myself. You know, I felt too small to talk to the much talked Wada Maida. But I tried. When I talked to him through WhatsApp, he promised to send his lawyer to our office.
During the 2019 Eid El Kabir celebration, I called him to wish him Happy Sallah unknown to me, he was in London to see his bedridden wife. It was in the morning. He sounded very quiet and I sensed he was not happy with my call. I cut it. To my shock, he sent me a WhatsApp message, saying he might have sounded angrily when I called. He told me that he was still at the hospital. I was dumbfounded by his simplicity.
Balarabe told me that he was still in London with BBC Hausa when Maida called him to come home and work with NAN.
When Ismaila Funtua died some weeks back, I sent Malam a condolence message. He responded via WhatsApp with a simple: Ameen. Rayuwar kenan!
Malam was humble and easy going. Whenever you go to his house, they’ll be many people there with him. I’ve met a lot of big men in the Katsina Media Circle who were helped by Malam Maida – and he didn’t even know or met them.
Malam Wada Abdullahi Maida didn’t help me secure a job but it was because I had never been serious about it. Shortly after our second meeting, there were openings in FRCN and NTA. Balarabe even said I should tell Malam that I would want to join either Daily Trust or People’s Daily, but I didn’t.
I learnt a lot through him because there was never a time that I called him and he didn’t pick. There was never a time I sent him a message without him replying. I learnt that one can be rich and influential and connected without being egoistic.
My condolences to my Boss and friend, Baba Bala Katsina and Abdurrashid Maida for losing such a pillar. May Allah grant him Aljanna Firdausi.
