Remembering AIG Dabo Aliyu, by Bala Maidala
He was such a jovial person who, though a military administrator, mingled with his staff as if they were his colleagues. Dabo Aliyu was diplomatic in his approach to complex situations which if not for his crisis management strategies would have resulted in a great pandemonium. I happened to work with him for some time and witnessed his sense of humour.
The celebration of Eid El Fitr always comes with some controversies as Islamic faithful differ on the day of commencement and ending of the Ramadan fast. On one Eid El Fitr, a group of Muslims decided to perform their Eid prayers a day after a majority of Muslims had performed their own. Dabo was informed about it and urged to stop them. To the surprise of all, he asked: “Are they carrying weapons?” the answer was no, “Are they forcing other people to pray with them?” again the answer was no. He then said to allow them to continue to pray for the whole year provided they did not constitute any nuisance to anybody. That singular act has prevented a major crisis similar to what we later witnessed in Borno.
When he arrived in Damaturu as a military administrator, Dabo met many civil servants shuttling between Maiduguri and Damaturu daily. Some of these civil servants have already been allocated houses but the contractors were not willing to hand over the houses for non-payment of their entitlements by the government.
We accompanied Dabo to the houses and there and then he directed that even if the doors were locked, people should break and occupy. With this gesture, even those who had no allocation got houses as some allottees were so reluctant to occupy their houses. Reacting to the non-payment of contractors, he said in Hausa: “Kai yana ɗaukan haka ma balle bashi” which could be translated as human head accommodates even madness not to talk of liability.
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But one thing that for the first time made me hate my chosen noble profession was a statement made by Mr Dabo Aliyu on one occasion. The statement, though jokingly, glaringly revealed how people look at journalists and journalism with derision. On that day I and my cameraman were at Dabo’s office to record him at the directive of the Director of Press Affairs. After completing the recording we started packing our gadgets in a haste to go back to our office. Suddenly, Dabo asked us to stop. He said in Hausa: “Ai da Ɗansanda da Ɗanjarida ba zai zo gun ka ya tafi haka ba” which could be translated as a policeman or a journalist cannot come to you and go back empty-handed. He took some naira notes from his drawer and gave us.
I was highly demoralised and diminished by that statement which continues to linger in my mind. Unfortunately, the generality of the citizens places journalists in the same category as policemen when it comes to asking for favour. In my decades of practice, I want to say, without fear of any contradiction, that I am not in that category. But here am I, a victim of generalisation. Don’t misconceive my idea, please. I am not saying I am above asking for favour, I ask but colleagues who are also in a position to ask me when the need arises. I don’t go to people’s offices if not for official functions.
May Allah, in His infinite mercy, forgive Dabo Aliyu’s shortcomings and accommodate him in Jannatul fir daus.
Bala Maidala is the Director of News at Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC), Damaturu.
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