by Idris Kamal Ibrahim
I decided to spice up the personality profile of Hassan Alhaji Hassan (HAH) to venerate him on the occasion of his BIRTHDATE. I wrote the same as a Feature Writing assignment in 2013. But the angle I based the piece on then was different from this. The piece you are about to shuttle through gives a representation of HAH as a man of value. Enjoy.
Albert Einstein was unequivocally right when he said, “Try not to become a man of success but, rather, try to become a man of value.” HAH is lucky to combine both. His breakthroughs in academics and public service outrun the values he stood for and lived by. So it may seem to those watching his steps from a far observational goalpost.
Butthe more you come close and establish a standing or outstanding contact orrelationship with him, the more you see good values in him. Don’t rush me.Please. One of his students.
HAH is unique. He firmly sticks to his values. No compromise. Whatsoever. To him, derailing from one of his values is the utmost betrayal of his subconscious mind. It amazed me when he said, “My values are non-negotiable. Take it or leave it.”
HAH may appear to be inflexible to some. Is he? Actually? No. He is not. Hassan is a simple and easygoing democrat. He gets along with people whose destiny crossed their ways easily. No class bias or preference. Perhaps because he hailed from one of the minority ethnic groups in the country. It is the same in his home state of Borno. Staff –junior and senior cadre, students and ordinary people in his neighbourhood easily relate with him.
He loves equal treatment. People from variegated faiths and geographical extracts ought to be given equal treatment without prejudice to anyone. HAH has been advocating for a national communication language on or off the press. For instance, when listing the major Nigerian ethnic groups or religions. List them in alphabetical order without attachment or segregation among them. This way: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; Christianity, Islam and Traditional Religion. ‘It is not difficult to do.’
HAH runs the most accessible Head of Department and Dean Offices while in charge. All people have access to his office provided he is around. 24/7. Even at home. Students knock on his door and get the nod to see him much the same way Chief Lecturers would (polytechnic professors). This practice forced one of my mates to whisper: the offices of Mallam Hassan were the most accessible in this polytechnic. I don’t know the basis for this generalization. But I know the offices of yours faithfully were open to everybody.
HAH is humane. His compassion for people especially the weak is glaring. This has dearly endeared him in the minds of avalanche of his students and people alike to the envy of some birds of his feather. One wonders how students rally around him after or before his class. One finds a heavy presence of students around the Mass Communication Department’s building once yours faithfully, please permit the cliché, is on the seat.
You stand a bad chance of standing during HAH’s lectures if you don’t arrive at the venue at least 45 minutes to commencement time. Evening and morning classes. The heavy presence of students rings to anyone approaching the venue where Hassan is having class. He is just loved.
Democracy appeals to HAH in all his dealings. Air your choices. Be it scheduling class or when to write continuous assessments; when to submit assignments and when to see him as his supervisees. About everything. He leases a lot of freedom to his students. But he detests default after an agreement has been struck. HAH has both carrot and stick.
“Give.Anything.” These two words are his personal clichés. Nothing is too big orsmall when it comes to giving to the poor, needy, weak, disabled, displaced andmarginalized. Everybody has something to offer to those who want or need whatis in their hands. He offers the little he has on request or not.
Mahatma Gandhi’s words: there is enough for everybody’s needs but there is not enough for anybody’s greed captures HAH’s open-handedness. He begs people to avail themselves of the opportunity to get assorted vegetables from his backyard garden. He once asked a senior colleague of mine to harvest everything in the garden. Take out of it to his need and disburse the rest to those who need it. He used to invite students to breakfast with him during the Muslim month of Ramadan.
There are too many things to crystallize the good moral values HAH cultivates. I felt the urge to share with you. Some. Hassan Alhaji Hassan is a unique man with unique values. A valueless life is not worth living. Anyone who cannot cultivate life values and live by them at all costs is a hungry lion. Such a lion easily gets carried away on sighting ripe food.
HAH was born 47 years ago, on 12th April 1972, in Marte, Borno to an impoverished peasant family. He grew up in a society that despised western education. Fate has it for yours faithfully as he was enrolled on the famous Federal Government College Maiduguri between 1986 to 1992. His traits of being a hardworking student paved the way for him to proceed to the University of Maiduguri where he studied Mass Communication. Graduated in 1998 as the overall best graduating student.
He served in Kwara State. Upon completing the mandatory National Service, HAH secured MSc admission to study Mass Communication from his Alma-mata UNIMAID and completed in 2005. Until then, he took up an appointment with UNIMAID as a Graduate Assistant up to Lecturer II before he came to Bauchi to consolidate the establishment of the Mass Communication Department, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi (FPTB) in 2007. He was appointed HOD of Mass Communication the same year. HAH served as HOD for a decade and had five five-year stints as Dean School of General Studies, FPTB.
The successes he recorded while in office as HOD, Mass Communication cannot be underscored. They are visible to everyone. It was during his stewardship that diplomas in journalism and Public Relations were introduced to hatch professionals; the department started the HND programme with full accreditation from NBTE. HAH has God-giving leadership qualities. He served as Chairman Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Bauchi State chapter twice. HAH lead Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) Bauchi State chapter.
He belongs to Borno concerned citizens for child protection and implementation of the Child Rights Act. His love for development led him to work as a consultant for GTZ’s women empowerment programme and UNICEF’s C4D most recently. HAH single-handedly established Attommat
Khayriya Community Initiative, is a development-oriented nongovernmental organization.
Hassan Alhaji Hassan is married to Hajiya Aisha. Their union is blessed with twin fruits- Ahlaam and Ibtisaam. Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication Studies in view. Happy birthdate!
Idris Kamal Ibrahim writes from Bauchi.
Editor’s note: Hassan Alhaji Hassan maintains a weekly column; TheSweep, on WikkiTimes. Had he not existed, we have to invent him!
