Tribute: In Remembrance Of Ahmed Abubakar, Late Jigawa NUJ Correspondent Chapel Chairman

I wouldn’t like to go witty because poetry makes understanding obscure.

Around 2007, as a proofreader in the Daily Trust, I was met by Ahmed Abubakar, from Kano. We became instant friends because he was just a gentleman one would always be pleased with.

We were under the likes of scholarly Modibbo Kawu, our editor; and Duro Iroja, our news editor. On the same desk were Sam Mhii, Rakiya Momoh (late), Francisa Anekwe and Silas Ezeugwu (who joined later). Our duty was to ensure error-free publications. In its aftermath were early morning calls for errors, such as misspelt names (even when we were not the reporters).

Its crescendo was when Ahmed told me: ‘I can’t see my future on this desk. I’m returning to Kano as a reporter’. I told him, ‘I also want to be a reporter.’ Some days later, he was transferred to Kano. A gentleman par excellence, we continued our cordial relationship.

The climax of my story was our leaving the Daily Trust. Trust remains unbeatable then, and perhaps now. We never missed our salaries around 25th of every month. Allowances came according to all Islamic celebrations. We were getting weekly transport allowances. We had a canteen with subsidised rates. One enjoyed annual leave with sumptuous allowances. Most of us are yet to access our contributory pensions because we’re yet to clock 50, courtesy of Trust. Leaving Trust left us with protracted nostalgia, reminiscing greats like Dafe, Zainab Kperogi, Nasir Imam, Abubakar Haruna, Theo Abbah and Baba Aminu.

I got a call one morning from my dependable colleague. She was crying. ‘You, Silas and Sam have been relinquished of your duties’, came her voice. It was some days after my book launch that was highly attended/commended by the same company, represented by the then MD, Ishaq. I recall the fantastic review of the novel by Barr Chijioke Edeoga, and the legal challenge by my friend, Barr SC Peters.

To cut the matter short, we went to the company and collected our benefits, enough to wipe off our tears. Emma Bello, then editing Sunday Leadership, easily engaged us—Silas and me.

Ahmed was working for the Peoples Daily when I ran into him at the Wadatta House of the PDP. ‘So you guy sacked me because I launched a book,’ I told him. ‘You are joking,’ he responded.

I was to gather later that our department was allegedly shut because Trust never believed I could write a book with the tedious nature of proofreading. And because I had no query, not even lost love, the only way out was the closure of the proofreading desk. ‘He wasn’t serious’ was the verdict.

Ahmed was to join The Sun in Jigawa, and rose to become the chairman of the journalists there. I wasn’t able to visit him because of ‘fear’, despite his assurances of my safety.

Reading about his death today reminds of our nickname ‘Dazzling Dazzler’, birthed when I drove him to Keffi to see his in-laws of Keffi emirate. We had stopped over at the famous Zimbabwe to ‘dazzle’.
Goodbye my detrabilised friend.

Greet Durosimi Iroja, Mrs Farouq Kperogi, Abdullahi Rogo, Rakiya Momoh. Let it end here pls, so death won’t be proud.

Chinedu Aroh is the Enugu Correspondent of THE WHISTLER.

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Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.