By Abdulwarees Solanke
Father translates to Abu in Arabic. It’s a sign of honour to so prefix anyone with Abu, attaching one’s child to this honorific. Ummu is the woman version of this nomenclature. It’s also an honorific one can claim even before one’s child comes in the expectation that when he finally arrives, you don’t bother to make naming a big deal. But, it’s also a pseudonym to hide one’s true identity.
Among my contemporaries or circle of friends, there’s, however, a strange combination of this honorific, Abu Baba. But before Abu Baba, his pen name was Abu Umar al-Faruq. Writing under “Abu Umar” as a pen name, he was prolific in spewing brilliant pieces under the Risala el-Miskin column.
The column is in a dominantly Muslim publication, Al-Hikmah Awareness, a vehicle of intellectual expression, spiritual orientation and Islamic consciousness. The publication was owned by the University of Lagos branch of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria.
This title holder was one of the most pragmatic Muslim student leaders of our day. Indeed, he is a natural leader, charismatic, with intellectual depth and an endearing personality. We graduated in Mass Communication together, he as a broadcasting specialist and I in print journalism. Even as a leader of MSSN, he was a mentor and counsellor to most young Muslim guy students.
This leadership trait he took to his only place of formal employment in life. Since he entered public service in 1992 as a Producer-1 in Voice of Nigeria, he has worked in no other workplace. He joined VON at age 29 with a B.Sc in Mass Communication and an M.Sc in Political Science with a specialisation in International Relations. With such academic pedigree and professional grooming.
He soon became a goldfish with no hiding place in VON. And soon, the first letters of his name changed whatever identity he held before. Who in our circle we identify as Abu Umar al-Faruq or Abu Baba emerged in VON as Triple-A. For a whole three decades plus.
The persona of Triple-A loomed large in VON with generous mention and involvement in most strategic matters, not only in his directorate but in the entire corporation. While we had been friends and brothers since our undergraduate days as students of mass communication at the University of Lagos, we started working life with different sectors.
But he first entered graduate school upon completing his NYSC combining postgraduate studies with writing for Al-Hikmah while I immediately joined National Concord with immediate transfer to old Gongola State as state correspondent.
On completion of his Master’s programme, fortunately, VON offered him employment. He had spent 13 years in VON before I came to join him in the house. But, many people did not know how far we had come together. So they could not understand why, as SA to the DG, I was always with him.
It was divine that when I went for graduate studies in Public Policy in Brunei Darussalam, he was the automatic choice of the DG to continue from where I stopped. When I returned from the foreign study, it was strange to many that I was reporting to him until I was appointed Head VON Training Centre, an office he supported me to be consolidating.
By the time Mallam Jijiwa retired from service, it was inevitable that Triple-A would return to English Service. For many in the Programme Directorate, it was great expectation. He returned as a deputy director in a directorate he left almost eight years before to continue as a father and mentor to young producers.
His prospect of becoming director there was, however, dim because of limited vacancies. But Allah opened the window of uplifting for him when he was returned to the DG office to head public affairs which essentially he was combining with his role as SA to the DG before. In that office, he was promoted to full director. He spent his last years in VON in that office, ending his career without blemish to the glory of God.
In retirement, Triple-A returned to writing and farming, his first love. In retirement, Triple A feels indeed fulfilled. When he returned to Broadcasting Glass House Wuse last month, he was on a mission. That was a mission to assist in the rebranding of VON as he is on a major book project.
I was proud to host my brother Triple A, Abdurrazaq Adegboyega Abdussalam in my Jikwoyi hideout, having arranged his airport picking. And it was my honour to also see him off when he returned to Lagos after his visit.
My brother-mentor, Triple-A, who has been part of my life for over 38 years, is indeed enjoying his life in retirement, thanking Allah for leading him far in life, “Without Regrets”.
Solanke is currently Head/ Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development Department Voice of Nigeria. (korewarith@yahoo.com, 08090585723)
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