“I was in the Business Centre situated in the outpatient ground floor of the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, India, browsing the Internet to update myself with the elections results of our 2011 April General Elections, when the voice of a man that sounded typically Nigerian came reeling and condemning the reported weeping of General Buhari for the plight he foresaw our nation seemed to have been programmed to fall into…” This is where I met Abubakar Gimba. I regret that I never met him in person but only on the pages of papers.
On one of my holidays, when I got chatting with Very Rev. Fr. Jerry D. O’Connell Spsof Minna diocese, I mentioned to him the above piece written by one AbubakarGimba titled: ”Et tu, Monsignor Kukah?” as a reaction to the homily of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah at the burial mass of the late Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa at Fadan-Kagoma, Kaduna State on December 20, 2012. I told him my take on the matter and how I wrote a rejoinder to the said article which I captioned ”Re-Et tu, Monsignor Kukah?”
The old man smiled and told me that Gimba is his friend. He said the man is a renowned scholarfrom Niger State and he lives in Minna. This heightened my cursiosity. Fr. O’Connell soon rewarded my curiosity with a book titled: ”Thoughts of yesterday.” Guess who the author is;behold, AbubakarGimbait was who has drawn my attention by his wit and rendition of prose earlier referred to. I owe a world of gratitude to Fr. O’Connell for the book which I now hold very dear to my heart. The fascinating thing about this book is that it has an autograph of the author plus a short note which reads: ”For Rev. Fr. J. D. O’Connell. For the commitment to the education of our youth, even a constant shining star to be followed. Dated, May 24, 2012.” For me, these are timeless words on the marble.
Later events would reveal the identity of this man who has stood tall in the literary world. Gimba worked in both the private and public sectors. The graduate of economics served in the Niger Sate Civil Service, rising to become a permanent secretary before departing for the banking industry where he was Executive Director of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc at different times before retiring. Little wonder the federal government decorated him with the national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR.
The quintessential man was also chairman, Evaluation and Implementation (EAIC) of IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, a former national president of ABU Alumni Association and a past president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). Interestingly,he has written in virtually all genres of literature as his works reveal: Trail of Sacrifice, Innocent Victims, Sunset for a Mandarin, Sacred Apples, Footprints and Witnesses to Tears (all novels); Inner Rumblings and This Land of Ours (poetry); A Toast in the Cemetery (short story); Letter to the Muslim Fundamentalist and Letters to My Children (social dialogue), A Conversation from the Letter-box (Epistolary), A Matter of Faith (Faith) and two books of essays, Once Upon a Reed and Why Am I Doing This?.
He was also a columnist with some Nigerian newspapers particularly the Nigerian Tribune and Weekly Trust. Gimba’s literary prowess seems endless; a knack that has endeared him to many Nigerians, including this writer. My reference to his reaction on Kukah’s homily further drew the attention of compatriots one of whom is Francis Damina who needed my permission for the article to be republished elsewhere. Although we have never seen each other, it was from Damina I got a message that necessitated this piece in honour of the man I respect and admire. On my way to Port Harcourt, Damina called and since I didn’t pick he sent an SMS. It was when I stopped over in Abba that I perused through the message which reads: ”…Are you aware that AbubakarGimba died? I (sic) just left MuhammedHaruna’s.” For the rest of the journey, I kept pondering on the life and times of the man l met only on the pages of papers.
The iconic writer will be remembered for his contribution to the world of literary arts. As much as his immediate family, the ABU Alumni Association and the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) will miss him, all young writers have missed a tireless guru whose pen never goes dry. His sponsorship of an annual Schools Carnival of Art and Festival of Songs in Niger State for 10 years shows his vision for young writers in Nigeria.
Hear him on Literature and the path of our future: ”For our literature in the 21st century to be relevant, it must encourage public discourse about every aspect of our national life in a sober intellectual manner, not in vitriolic exchange; it must enhance and enrich public discourse, not fuel it into a social conflagration. We must, as writers, encourage our compatriots to talk to each other. And listen to each other. Let’s encourage the convening of a national sovereign conference.” It would appear that his voice like that of other patriotic Nigerians was what gave rise to the national confab – something Nigerians will not forget in a hurry.
Gimba is one of the few Nigerians who sees the role of women as pivotal to national development. I find his sense of reasoning revolutionary. In The Woman, All Hail the Woman, he compares the human community with a colony of bees. He argued that since the human society is made up of males and females, the man plays the role of the drones (though the advancement in science is threatening this role), while the woman plays the role of the queen bee (a role not threatened by cloning and other human replication sciences).
He says in this respect, ”women like its queen bee counterpart, occupies a uniquely central position in the community for its continued existence and self-regulation. And just as the queen bee is the rallying point for the bee colony to attain its goal of constructing hive and producing honey, the woman in the human society is similarly positioned to ensure that the society attains its goal of ‘hive and ”honey.” He,therefore, surmised that the natural roles of women as mother and, wives uniquely places them as the custodian of our societal values. As such, motherhood is the most important, most sacred responsibility on earth. What could be truer as we recently celebrated the International Women’s Day?
MallamGimbais a devout Muslim who was never shy of his religion and lived it to the best of his ability. Although I have not laid my hands on his work, Letter to the Muslim Fundamentalist, I believe he had genuine concerns about using religion as a vehicle of violence. His title, Writing for Peace, confirms that. While I am his fan on many fronts, I disagree with him on issues like the ones I raised in the rejoinder earlier talked about and his presentation ”Where are we going?” of 1998 at a forum of some leaders from the Niger South Senatorial Zone. Part of his submission, ”our tribalism must not have any agenda of some superiority complex over others, but must have a duty and responsibility to defend and protect ourselves against being made pawns and prey of the self-seeking agenda of others” seems paranoid. It appears as though he is baptising tribalism. I regret his absence to throw light on this discourse.
Reacting to his death, Hon. Jerry Agada former ANA president said; ”it pains me to bid farewell to this pioneer writer and fine gentleman of great repute. I had known AbubakarGimba through the pages of some of his novels before we eventually met at the 1997 ANA convention in Abuja when he was elected ANA president and I as Assistant General Secretary. Since then, it has been a symbiotic relationship built on mutual respect for one another.
We will continue to cherish his exemplary leadership attributes which Nigeria will sure miss…”Of him The Sun’s Henry Akubuiro wrote, ”in death, Gimba’s cerebral testaments on print remain deathless.”
May Allah grant his soul eternal rest inAljannatulFirdausi!
Fr. J.J Dyikuk is of the Centre for the Study of African Culture and Communication (CESACC), Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Email:justinejohndyikuk@gmail.com
Twitter: @just4realsquare
