TRIBUTE
AVM MUKHTAR MUHAMMED: ABU’S GREATEST LOSS OF 21ST
CENTURY
Once again within a span of one year, let me crave
the indulgence of my esteemed readers to write a tribute of AVM Mukhtar Muhammed,
pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria. The last tribute I wrote was that of my uncle Baba Abdulkarim Ka’ida “the
Epitome of Due Process”, which was published on 4th November 2016
almost one year ago. Next week, I will return to “Breakthrough with Prof MK
Othman”
On Sunday, 1st
Oct., 2017, after my bout of squash at ABU Gym, my goof friend Prof. Ado Sale, the
Welfare Committee chairman of our Squash Club broke the shocking news of Air
Vice Marshal (AVM) Mukhtar Muhammed’s death, I was momentarily frozen and couldn’t
know what to do or say. Involuntarily, I uttered “Kalu Inna Lilihi wa Inna Ilaihi Raju’un”. The realization that every
living soul shall certainly experience death at appointed time comforted me. This
death came when many of us least expect it but we have to accept the reality that
death comes without notice. AVM came into the life of Ahmadu Bello University at
a time the university was struggling to keep pace with the reality; paucity of
fund, numerous eggheads with their hotbed of ideas, sometimes being restive as
their ideas could not be turned to reality due to dearth of fund, unbearable
demands by the society for admission, jobs and contracts and many other
cutthroat challenges. It was the time when hopes were almost dashed that AVM
briskly surfaced as the Pro – Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing
Council. He was appointed in that position on 9th May 2017 and died
on 1st October 2017. Within this period of 143 days as the Council
chairman, he was able to raise hope of the entire University community at
different strata. It was at the time when the expectation and hopes were high;
the cold hand of death snatched him and made ABU an orphan.
To
appreciate the efforts made by AVM and why he was completely different from the
past Council’s chairmen, it is important to view the Nigeria system in respect
of appointments into council universities. Ideally, councils are supposed to be
assets to their universities but many of them become huge liabilities to the
extent that the system could do better without them. Take for instance, a case
of one University who got a new Council’s chairman, the day the person was
reporting to familiarize himself with the system, the best car of the University
was sent to pick him from airport but he refused to enter the car because it
was “too ordinary” for his elitist class. Throughout the man’s tenure he was
bringing one problem or the other and the university was fervently praying for his
tenure to end. Some of such council chairmen try to compete with their Vice-
chancellors in running the affairs of the Universities on daily basis. Some
make the universities as an extension of their personal properties. Thanks to
the current University law that curtails and limits the excesses of governing
councils, otherwise they would have clogged the wheel of University system.
Over the
years, ABU has had several Council Chairmen, some came and left without
changing the situation, few impacted the system positively while others left it
worst than they met it. AVM was quite different; the first thing after his
appointment, he studied the ABU system. He did not only rely on the briefs from
the Vice-Chancellor and principal officers but he embarked on tour of all the
important units of the University and research centres. His visit to our
centre, NAERLS was particularly spectacular. He spent more time at the NAERLS
national farmer’s helpline centre where he carefully listened to the brief on
the aim of the centre. Being a former military officer, state governor and
before his death, a community leader and practicing farmer, he was fully aware
of the problem of Agricultural Extension system in Nigeria. He was aware of the
ratio of Extension Agent to farm families, an average of one extension agent to
about seven thousand farm families, which is practically impossible to make
noticeable impacts. He was also fully aware that farmers need effective
extension delivery services to increase their productivity, which will reduce
the massive importation of foods worth over ten billions of US Dollars
annually. AVM was therefore convinced that the centre was not only a promising
and viable venture but seemed to acquire a magic wand for solving farmers
problems directly. The NAERLS farmers’ helpline centre has a capacity of
receiving 3,000 calls a day on the average of 4 minutes per call for eight hours
in a day. The centre provides technical information on proven and relevant agricultural
technologies along the value chain of major agricultural commodities. The
centre is also equipped with e-video conferencing facilities for effective
capacity building of personnel with resource persons making their presentation
within or outside the country without physically being at the centre. At the
time of AVM’s visit, the centre was more than 90% completion and was only awaiting
the integration of a short code to become operational. AVM was visibly
impressed with the facilities and amazed that the centre could not be
functional because of non-integration of the short code. A task, he considered
simple and should be resolved immediately.
As
mentioned, AVM visited all the research centres of the University. At each
centre, AVM demanded brief on the centre, it’s mission, vision, mandates,
achievements, challenges and the way forward. After the tour, the council sent
a memo to the centres requesting list of facilities, achievements and
challenges. Meanwhile the Council planned to deliberate on the submissions made
by the centres during a scheduled retreat, which couldn’t hold as planned.
The shock of
AVM’s death was devastating to me for two major reasons. After my personal
observations of AVM’s activities, I was convinced that ABU had found solutions
for all its teething problems bedeviling its progress. AVM toured the whole
university, he saw teaching and research facilities brought in the 1980s and
70s, he saw the inadequacy of students’ hostels, built more than 30 years ago, he
observed the overused and inadequate lecture theaters and many other
infrastructural challenges commonly found in universities nationwide. During
one of the council meetings, AVM expressed his concern about the myriad
challenges and the huge and quality human resources in ABU and his intention to
adequately address the challenges and find lasting solutions to make the
university be the greatest. He told the council that he would personally appeal
to Mr. President and selected States Governors to come to the aid of this giant
University, the pride of the Nation and a true national University. It is only
in ABU that all the 747 LGAs are represented either by students, staff, affiliates
or all.
The second
reason that concerned me as a person was the plan to meet with AVM. During one
of my periodic briefs on NAERLS activities to my vice chancellor, I told him
about the pending challenge to link Famers Helpline Centre with GSM service providers.
My principal promised to secure an appointment for me with the AVM. “I would
personally take you to him on this matter and the issue will be completely
resolved” declared by my principal with 100% confidence. I was excited and my
internal joy was limitless as making the Farmers’ helpline centre operational
in 2017 was a collective target, we set for ourselves as management of NAERLS,
which I am privileged to head. My principal and I agreed to visit AVM’s House
during the last Sallah celebration period, 2nd September 2017 for
the appointment. It was the same period that AVM fell sick only to receive the
shocking news of his demise few days after. May his soul rest in perfect peace
and make Aljanna Fildausi be his final abode.
No doubt,
AVM had sound and encyclopedic intentions for ABU; unfortunately, he could not
realize them in his life – time. Now, who can step into the shoes of AVM as ABU
Council Chairman? Who can continue the good works of AVM for ABU? The selection
of ABU Council Chairman is an absolute discretion of the university Visitor, in
this case, our beloved President Muhammad Buhari. He has many famous men and
women who have distinguished themselves in their careers and will likely
continue with virtuous works of AVM. Names like Ibrahim Coomasie, Dr. Mahmud
Tukur, General Muhammad Magoro, General Alwali Kazir, Maj. Gen. Abbdullahi
Bagudu Mamman and few others ring bell. The idea is to find someone who
respects the personal principles of AVM and wants to accomplish what AVM
intended to do. The person should also be endowed with the wherewithal, enjoys
tremendous goodwill, has the right connections and be ready to serve this great
university with all his/her might for posterity. May the Almighty God guide us
to have the right choice to correctly fill the vacuum, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment