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 to AVM Mukhtar Muhammed, pro-chancellor and Chairman of the 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 good 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 an appointed time comforted me. This
death came when many of us least expected it, but we have to accept the reality that
death comes without notice. AVM went into the life of Ahmadu Bello University at
a time the university was struggling to keep pace with reality; the paucity of
funds, 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. When hopes were almost dashed, 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 143 days as the Council
chairman, he raised the hope of the entire University community at
different strata. It was at the time when the expectations 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 chairmen, it is crucial to view the Nigerian system concerning appointments into council universities. Ideally, councils are supposed to be
assets to their universities, but many become huge liabilities to the extent that the system could do better without them. Take, for instance, the case
of one University that got a new Council chairman. The day the person was
reporting to familiarize himself with the system, the best car from the University
was sent to pick him up from the airport. Still, 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 council chairmen try to compete with their vice-chancellors to run the affairs of the universities daily. Some consider universities to be an extension of their personal property. Thanks to
the current University law that curtails and limits the excesses of governing
councils, otherwise they would have clogged the wheel of the 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 relied on more than the briefs from the vice chancellor and principal officers and embarked on a tour of all the essential units of the university and research centers. His visit to our center, NAERLS, was particularly spectacular. He spent more time at the NAERLS
national farmer’s helpline center, carefully listening to the brief on
the center's aim. 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 the Agricultural Extension system in Nigeria. He was mindful of the ratio of Extension Agents to farm families, an average of one extension agent to about seven thousand farm families, which is practically impossible to make a noticeable impact. 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 billion US Dollars annually. Therefore, AVM was convinced that the center was not only a promising and viable venture but also seemed to acquire a magic wand for solving farmers' problems directly. The NAERLS farmers’ helpline center can receive 3,000 calls a day on an average of 4 minutes per call for eight hours a day. The center provides technical information on proven and relevant agricultural
technologies along the value chain of major farm commodities. The center is also equipped with e-video conferencing facilities for effective capacity building of personnel, with resource persons making their presentations within or outside the country without physically being at the center. At the time of AVM’s visit, the center was more than 90% complete and was only awaiting the integration of a short code to become operational. AVM was visibly impressed with the facilities and amazed that the center could not be functional because of the non-integration of the shortcode. A task he considered
simple and should be resolved immediately.
As
mentioned, AVM visited all the university research centers. At each center, AVM demanded a brief on the center's mission, vision, mandates, achievements, challenges, and way forward. After the tour, the council sent a memo to the centers requesting a list of facilities, achievements, and challenges. Meanwhile, the Council planned to deliberate on the submissions made by the centers during a scheduled retreat, which couldn’t be held as planned.
The shock of
AVM’s death was devastating to me for two primary reasons. After observing 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 vast and quality human resources in ABU. He also intended to
adequately address the challenges and find lasting solutions to make the
university the greatest. He told the council that he would personally appeal
to Mr. President and selected state governors to aid 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 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 the 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 my principal with 100% confidence. I was excited, and my internal joy was limitless as making the Farmers’ helpline center 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 for the appointment at the last Sallah celebration period, 2nd September 2017. It was the same period that AVM fell sick, only to receive the shocking news of his demise a few days later. May his soul rest in perfect peace
and make Aljanna Fildausi be his final abode.
AVM undoubtedly had sound and encyclopedic intentions for ABU; unfortunately, he could not
realize them in his lifetime. 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 the ABU Council Chairman is the 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 the virtuous works of AVM. Names like Ibrahim Coomasie, Dr. Mahmud
Tukur, General Muhammad Magoro, General Alwali Kazir, Maj. Gen. Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman and a few others ring a bell. The idea is to find someone who
respects the personal principles of AVM and wants to accomplish what AVM
wants to do. The person should also be endowed with the wherewithal, enjoy tremendous goodwill, have 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 correctly choose to correctly fill the vacuum, Amen.
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