Adamu: A life anchored on humanity

When death comes, no one can stop it. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar describes death as a necessary end that “will come when it will come”. Nothing can stop the angel of death when it strikes, there is no armour against death and man, being a mortal, has surrendered to its inevitability and finality.

Every man must taste death. It comes to the young and to the old. It is not a respecter of socio-economic divide and when it strikes; it leaves friends and family members bereaved and almost inconsolable. So, it is with Mallam Augustine Trumam Adamu who passed on October 1, 2021.

He lived a life of total commitment for family values and humanity. Adamu not only saw the family as the anchor of a good society, he worked tirelessly to achieve his goals and dreams through providing for family and community and heroically bore the burden of life often associated with living.

Baba Adamu was born on 24th August, 1949 at Chikka in Bondong District of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State. He would later become a man of many colours because he saw it all, especially in his formative stage where he struggled to acquire education amidst financial difficulties. He was committed to be educated and he left no stone unturned to ensure his dream was realised. With only farming and menial jobs at his disposal to generate revenue, he was filled with the unquenchable thirst of going to school in order to be prepared for the future.

Paying his way to schools through farming and unskilled jobs, he walked his way to become an Agric Extension Worker with the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Project. He was devoted and steadfast in his duties and described as an honest worker who believed in inspiring others around him to strive for the best.

With the coming of Christianity, Baba Trumam was baptised on September 15, 1950, by Rev. Fr. Moorhead in Mabushi, Samaru-Kataf in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna state. He received his first Holy Communion in 1958 and was confirmed the same year by Rev. Fr. MarCatty.

He got married to then Miss Theresa Azumi Musa in1977, and would later be married to a second wife, then Miss Esther Bobai, in 1980. Recognising that marrying a second wife was a deviation from the church doctrine of one-man- one-wife, he obtained marriage blessing with his first wife Mrs Theresa Augustine.

To his children, even as a disciplinarian, Baba Adamu was more of a friend than a father and would always create time for them. He enjoyed playing with his children as if they were playmates. According to one of his children, Mrs. Belinda Augustine-Manasseh, “I still remember how we would sit outside under the moon and listen to Baba’s many stories which were mostly very funny. We were always eager to have Baba back with us whenever he was away from home”.

Baba Trumam’s friends were also very fond of him. They would always come to check on him the next day whenever they missed him in a single day at their usual hangout spot in Samaru-Kataf. Baba was a peacemaker within the neighbourhood and was always willing to go the extra mile to settle squabbles amongst disagreeing factions.

In his compassionate nature and love for humanity, Baba catered for many children, other than those for his loins. Some of them had no homes but lived in his home with children. He saw all of them as a family, with no form of discrimination to all and sundry living under his roof.

Despite his love for his children, Baba’s major weakness was his lack of faith in educating the girl-child and the most senior of his children are females who never benefitted much from his magnanimity in assisting them acquire quality education. Regrettably, by the time he realised this error, it was too late in the day.

Baba Adamu was a loving and caring man, yet a disciplinarian who never tolerated ill treatment of any sort. He had deep love for humanity and aspired to see the progress of both individuals and the community. As an epitome of humility, he gave respect and was ever grateful for whatever blessings that came his way. He harboured no grudges and was ever willing to share whatever he has with other fellow human beings without a second thought.

When sickness struck in 2019, and he could attend to his usual routine activities, he became frail and was bedridden. He had to depend on caregivers, especially his wife and children, to survive the remaining days that were fraught with stressful health challenges.

Few days before he finally succumbed to the cold hands of death, he was taken to St. Louis Hospital, Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area for medical admission. On October 1, 2021, sensing that he was about to transit to the world of immortality, he insisted on being brought back home. He summoned all his children that same day and addressed them. He advised and blessed them. He then gave up the ghost in a peaceful manner. Baba Adamu died a happy and fulfilled man after making peace with his family and pronouncing blessings on everyone in his family.

Baba Adamu fathered no fewer than 14 children, but three of them predeceased him. He is survived by two wives and no fewer than 20 grandchildren at the time of his death.

One year after his transition, Baba Adamu’s footprints remain inspiring lessons in humility and devotion to family values.

Reef, a media practitioner, writes via [email protected]