A 60-year-old man in Kano was recently recognised for his selfless service to humanity despite collecting no pay. BASHIR MOHAMMED writes on what turned out to be a carnival of a sort in Kano recently.
Every community service under whatever guise has a reward either here or in the life thereafter in as much as such service entails high-level commitment and absolute sacrifice. Voluntary service can only be rendered by those who believe that they offer their energy and high spirit to the extent that they are fully satisfied with what they are doing.
If the above is anything to go by, Haladu Umar Sumaila, a 60-year-old voluntary traffic warden, has undoubtedly carved a niche for himself for rendering voluntary service to the community by controlling traffic without any dime paid for 20 years.
The most interesting thing about the award was that Haladu was never informed that he would be decorated by the Kano Correspondent Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for what he had been doing until few hours to the commencement of the award night where he along with some prominent personalities were colourfully appreciated.
He had no premonition about the news that he was to be offered automatic employment and cash reward by the state government until when the deputy governor, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, who was among the top awardees that day announced that Haludu has been automatically employed, a pronouncement that took even the organisers of the event by great surprise.
Dr Gawuna announced the automatic offer of employment to the awardee last Saturday while presenting an award to him at the second edition of NUJ Kano Correspondent Chapel award/appreciation night held at the Bristol Palace Hotel in Kano.
Blueprint could recall that the awardee has been controlling traffic for about 20 years along Court Road by Zoo Road junction voluntarily so as to ensure that road users enjoy easy passage along the road.
Automatic employment
According to Dr Gawuna,“I am directing the managing director, Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), Baffa Baba Dangundi to immediately employ the awardee despite his age but on compassionate ground so as to encourage voluntary service to humanity,” he said.
The deputy governor also presented a certificate, plaque and N20,000 donated by the media professionals to the awardee.
Star awardee speaks
In his remarks after collecting the award, Sumaila who was elated, said he never thought this moment in his life.
“This is a very important day in my life. I am just assisting road users to ensure that the road is free from gridlock,” he said.
Speaking on the record-breaking feat achieved by the 60-year voluntary traffic warden, a renowned Islamic scholar, Ustaz Dauda Lokon-Makera who offered the opening prayer at the ofile award night said the Correspondent Chapel of NUJ has demonstrated unrivalled professionalism and ingenuity considering the fact that rewards of such a magnitude were only given to the most coveted elitist class in the society.
According to him, even the awardee never imagined the fact that he would ever be singled out for reward one day for an exceptional honour and privilege in such a colourful fashion by media practitioners, stressing that throughout his two decades of voluntary service, no professional body, individual or group of people had ever conceived of such a laudable idea.
Speaking further, he said, “As far as the Correspondents Chapel of NUJ is concerned, I am pretty confident of its leaders’ ability, capacity and wherewithal to live up to their billing. To me, it is a feat worth cherishing and celebration to high heavens.”
Even the doubting Thomases can attest to the fact that the reward is the first of its kind. What should be utterly taken into cognizance is the fact that only the elitist classes are honoured in such a colourful fashion because of their eminent stand in the society. Haladu’s case has defied such logic. Despite his pathetic background, the journalist body made him proud and equally made itself also proud for giving him the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with notable eminent personalities.
An eye witness, Muktar Mohammed said, “It is my belief that it is high time the elitist class, government and notable philanthropists began to reward excellence, no matter one’s status and background for others to emulate others’ sterling contribution. Controlling gridlocks for 20 years a long Zoo Road is a laborious and painstaking job which deserves to be rewarded as it was offered on voluntary premise,” he affirmed.
It was however the contention of the chapel leadership that the prominent figures awarded, were purposefully given the laurels of honour on account of their respective pedigree, cutting across different professional callings and notable spheres of human endeavour for them to discard the belief that they are not being appreciated in the society.
Roll-call of some awardees
An awardee, Dr Gawuna, even as the deputy governor of the state, had from all intents and purposes, and in accordance with the citation read on him crossed many challenges before rising to stardom.
In his capacity as deputy governor as contained in the citation, he has undoubtedly walked a tight rope in doing what is expected in the manner of a loyal deputy. He has exhibited his agility most especially in a democratic dispensation. He undoubtedly came on board as a politician with the burning ambition of assisting Governor Ganduje in propelling Kano to greater height in all human endeavours devoid of any primordial considerations, believing that his boss chose him as his running mate on the premise of absolute trust and immense capacity to deliver.
Next is Muhuyi Magaji, the fearless and intrepid anti-corruption fighter being at the helm of Kano Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission, Rimin-Gado. According to the citation read on him, he had been instrumental in waging the crusade against corruption, cleaning the Augean Stable to the satisfaction of Governor Ganduje, a stunning feat that had made him to stand tall among his peers.
He is a dogged fighter to the core and one who adroitly employs his master stroke in keeping his fingers on the tiller for the vestiges of corruption to be shown the way out. He equally strove hard to hear myriad of complaints that bordered on human cruelty leveled against those who believe that they can be too wicked to oppress the down trodden with impunity.
To those who are conversant with the professional antecedents of Comrade Muhammad Garba in his capacity as the mouthpiece of the state government under the leadership of Governor Ganduje, one can attest to the fact that he deserves the correspondents’ colourful veneration, considering his exceptional resume of unprecedented professional accomplishments as a professional journalist worth his onion.
As a quintessential master of statecraft in the art of media management in the present democratic setting, Comrade Muhammad Garba according to the citation read on him, is one who always advises working journalists in the state to speak with their tongues not in cheek and be fully guided by the ethics of journalism profession in order to guard against error of judgment for the sake of fairness and objectivity.
Courtesy of his credible humane persona, humility and down-to-earth disposition, the information commissioner is never known to snub his colleagues in the pen profession either on account of their penchant to balance a story they considered a jigsaw puzzle or at a time they feel that his official intervention is needed.
NUJ justifies the award
Shedding more light on the award/appreciation night, the Correspondents’ Chapel chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu said the awardees were carefully selected and awarded by the chapel based on their respective contributions to the society with no traces of sentiment or parochial consideration.
It was however his contention that it would be counter-productive for practitioners to ignore such contributions, pointing out that acknowledging individuals’ contribution would be the best way to reward excellence.
Speaking in the same vein, the chairman Kano NUJ, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim said the council is growing speedily from strength to strength, united, cohesive, vibrant and formidable, stressing that adhering to the ethics of the journalism profession is what is most needed in adding considerable tonic to the nascent democratic system.
During the event no fewer than eight prominent personalities were also honoured with award of excellence by the chapel including the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, director general of NITDA and the state commissioner of Police.
Also honoured at the occasion were Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, former speaker of the state assembly and serving member, representing Rano, Bunkure and Kibiya federal constituency.
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