He knew his time to die had come, but he also knew that one of his greatest dreams; providing portable water for the Fulalawa community within his Musawa Constituency, was not yet achieved. So death waited.
Alh INDE DIKKO ABDULLAHI, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF CUSTOMS
A first Republic law maker, late Alhaji Abdullahi Inde (Magajin Musawa) had gone out last year, and he was again confronted with the chronic pains of his people, occasioned by poor access to portable water. There and then, he told himself, if that was going to be his last assignment on earth, let it be!
No one knows how much he sank into the project. He had no access to federal allocation, yet he went about the task in a professional sort of way. First he secured the attention of those who would identify the best place to locate water, then, the best way to ensure that when the water begins to flow, the dream of a regular supply would endure. And then, the engineers went to work!
The Maritime First learnt that a week before his death, he called his site supervisor, to urged for urgency in the completion of his task. And when those around him, especially first his son asked for reasons for the urgency, he told the son, his time on earth was up, and he wanted the project completed, before he goes home.
Authoritative sources confirmed that he also confided in a few close persons, especially his grand daughter, Aisha. But he did not tell Dikko, Aisha’s father, who was inextricably tied to national assignments, in Abuja.
On Friday night, around 8.00 pm, those he instructed to stay tied to Fulalawa project and not come back until water flowed, returned with the good news and told him; “water had begun to flow in Fulalawa, and the community’s joy knew no bound”.
Inde, according to eye witnesses took the news calmly, thanked his God and prayed for the people. He was happy that they had carried out his law, to the letter. He also again prayed for the members of his family. Then, he gladly went for his supper, ate to his satisfaction and went to bed. He did not wake up!
He lived his life for his people; it was the hallmark of most first republic and first generation people. They lived, pursuing utilitarian principles: doing the best good, for the greater number of people!
There was no money in their days, so they lived austere life, prudently managing the little they had, in the honour and integrity of ensuring a good name.
Their Government didn’t have money either, but no one could deny them of powerful vision. It was then that they built the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); it was then they built the University of Lagos, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Ahmadu Bello University and the legendary Cocoa House, etc. Several years later, nothing created by the second or third generations operators could challenge these legacies, either in terms of reputation, public image or increasing contributions to the growth of civilization!
It was then they divided Nigeria into regions, based on affinity, cooperation and collaboration; largely, with an aim of ensuring peace, synergy and progress.
It was then they developed public schools and gave scholarships and sent people to well funded public schools, in genuine desire to see their people and neighbours’ wards also grow up to become somebody great and useful, for the happiness of the entire community.
In those days, they did not deliberately wreck public schools, so that the private universities they built could suddenly enjoy some unmerited advantages!
Key players in the first republic, it would also be noted, campaigned, based on issues, not plot dailies, on how to take advantage of either the poor people or the opposition. They did not eat their bread alongside, hundreds of others’ meat; and the roads they built lasted, some 10 years and beyond; unlike the recklessness we stupidly hail today!
The Maritime First learnt that when Inde died, at the age of 93, on Friday 9th January 2015, the Dikkos did not cry. To them, it was time for a celebration of life. But we learnt the Fulalawa people cried. “Baba ya tabarta mu samu ruwa kamin ya rasu” (Baba ensured we had water before he left”, “Baba promised us water, and Baba delivered even also on water!’); anyone could understand the basis for the genuineness of their tears.
“I find it difficult to cry because if I did, I believe, I would be betraying my God” , Dikko confirmed to the Maritime First crew, while noting that his own mom had similarly shown remarkable strength. God had protected the patriarch for them, in good health, longer than their prayers!
“Mama believes like me, that on issue of death, that everybody would one day die; it’s all a matter of how and when it would come!”, he stated further, adding that the late politician’s blood pressure actually was stably calm and unchanged, upto 15 minutes, before he passed on to glory!
Apart from water, the next thing Inde loved and worked for, was the good health of the people.
Now ask yourself: how many Second or Third Republic politicians still live for others’ happiness? And how many of them, do not have special private doctors in India, Germany or France and to what result?
Yea! God only waters the hand that watereth others!
