By Muslihu Aminu Pindiga:
Sometimes in the first quarter of 2005, Professor Abdullahi Mahadi requested I join him in an afternoon stroll within the foreground field of the Gombe State University; a field he was preparing for what has now become the single largest date plantation in an educational institution in the country. As we stroll, he looked me in the face and said he was going to appoint me his Special Assistant, with a caveat: “amma sabo da kaza baya hana yankanta”, literally meaning being accustomed to a chicken does not stop you from slaughtering it one day. He so appointed me, and about four years later the axe of the Hausa adage fell on me; and I was at fault.
The Prof assumed duty as the pioneer VC of then newly established Gombe State University, along with his principles: humility, dedication, cleanliness, simplicity, sympathy, fairness, straightforwardness, and of course religious dedication.
In August 2004, the VC had a personal mail through the Gombe State Ministry for Higher Education and Special Duties, which I was mandated to deliver. It would be my first contact with him, at one of the Government Lodges where he was temporarily accommodated. The tradition for such high caliber international personalities is for a low-leveled officer to exercise patience to such a time the ‘oga’ deems it fit for him to be ushered in. But in this instance, it was immediate and with the entire courtesies one can think of. I could not hide my surprise and excitement to Professor Rufa’i Ahmad Alkali, who was the commissioner in the ministry. His response: “That is Mahadi for you, an epitome of humility”.
On a courtesy call to the then Visitor and establisher of the university Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, and received in his stead by then deputy governor John Lazarus Yoriyo, Professor Mahadi minced no words in demanding that there should not be any political interference in his running of the university, in return for his whole dedication to its overall success. This was guaranteed, and the Prof was in office from 6:30am to 7:30pm, all through his two-term tenure. Outcome: GSU, a citadel of knowledge and overall discipline.
Once, I could not contain my curiosity and therefore asked Mahadi’s driver-cum-domestic assistant, on everything about him being clean, neat and tidy. I said everything and I mean everything! “Zama da madaukin kanwa…” was his response, meaning: that is one character of his principal. The first impression to any first time visitor to the GSU is its complete cleanliness, neatness and tidiness. It is an established principle of Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi.
Apart from a number of staff in the employ of the university as cleaners, the VC engaged additional casual labourers in that regard. These were made to pick any seeable dirt, plus in the plantations and the gardens. On a daily basis and at intervals, you find him in the midst of such workers, playing jokes that boost their morale. In such a situation, a visitor would pass him for head of the labourers. Simplicity is one conspicuous principle of Prof. Mahadi. Arrogance has no place in his life style.
The celebrant runs what is known as Abdullahi Mahadi Foundation, part of whose focus is to provide succour to the poor and the indigent, in form of scholarship and otherwise; to near, distant and non-relations. The current president of the Nigerian Association for the Blind, Mal. Ishiyaku Adamu (currently undergoing doctoral studies) is a beneficiary of this sympathetic principle. And I recently stumbled on Prof Mahadi distributing some assistance to the hospitalized in one of the private clinics in Gombe metropolis. No representation.
Whenever it was the season for remedial programme admission, the Prof would purchase application forms for suitable candidates from his locality. He transported, accommodated and fed them. At the same time, he strongly warned examiners against passing any of them that failed the aptitude test, for being the ‘VC’s candidates’. Merit remained the watchword. It was a clear manifestation of the principle of fairness.
There was this issue of a strong allegation of a “Third Term” agenda against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, being allegedly backed by some members of the National Assembly, one of whom was representing Mahadi’s senatorial zone. To show his strong aversion to the idea in the spirit of patriotism, he wrote him a strongly-worded letter detailing him the possible repercussions on the Nigerian polity were it to sail through. And he caused the letter to be made public in the zone; I believe to own up to any possible consequence. Always straightforward in expressing his ideologies/opinions.
And only recently, I was in his office on a courtesy visit when he asked for a clarification on a religious topic. After the answer, I politely requested to know what he was up to, based on the nature of his question. He kept silence for a while and then said: “I am in to the memorization of the Holy Qur’an”. This certainly caps all his other numerous religious-rewarding works, which we pray Allah accept; and forgive his shortcomings as he clocks 73 on December 31, 2018.
Muslihu Aminu Pindiga
Arawa ‘B’ Qtrs., Gombe
08034763550
