By Aliyu Umar Yusuf
Life is a channel that provides us many things of memory, which though we do observe and experience so many things in the process of living thereby having contact with different classes of people; we are remembering people with their behavioural attitudes, some we remember them as good, others as bad, but believe me, to be remembered as a good person it is God-gift of blessing.
However, giving and helping is the greatest form of humanity. It can end someone’s misery and change someone’s life. When we help and support someone, we add joy and comfort to their lives. Whether people appreciate it or not, nothing goes unrecorded in the book of your life. This joy and comport become a blessing for us and every time we go through the lows of life, it gives us strength to get through. Dr Bhawna Gautama.
Moreover, in this life, there exist some folks who have been endowed with a God-given passion for propelling the progress of others; they drive pleasure in nurturing younger ones by shaping and improving their cognitive ability; making them emboldened to face the realities of life earlier, in order to navigate their way to the promised land and get rid of the traps of the terrain. To call these people mentors, on my view, they are underrated. They are God-sent and therefore, worthy of being celebrated. If God wishes you good, He makes you come across them, thereby opening a new page in your life.
The definition of the name ”Baba Garba” will forever remain incomplete without mentioning forgiveness, kindness, simplicity and patience as his typical manner, Baba is a down to earth man beyond any doubt, who made his arms and shoulder opened for the nourishment of younger ones to locate the good days in the future. He replaces the desperation, depression of his students by instIlling seminal ideas that are both inspirational and fruitful.
Baba is one of a kind. He is a passionate, determined and dedicated lecturer. He illuminates knowledge, wisdom and goals in his students. He is a rare kind of lecturer that injects the spirit of enthusiasm into his students and he is versed, creative and resourceful. I’m free to say this, Baba is among the top lecturers that qualified these qualities, fascinating character and effective teaching style, cleverness in classroom management, curriculum expertise, expertise in subject matter, etc.
This father, taught us ”Feature Writing” and his style of teaching as demonstrated is exceptionally loving. He introduced us to a new appreciating course “Environmental Reporting” and his classes were never boring; and above all, he is humble, modest and positively optimistic. Being with him opened fresh perspectives to many people. I believe, in the process of my narration, words will fail me; I may not put it right, as perfectly as it is, but my colleagues, relatives or friends who are oratorically more skilful can best tell the story.
Baba’s class used to be openly democratic and libertarian, all students are given equal treatment and rights without bias regardless of religion, ethnicity, nepotism or sectionalism one belongs to. This father always wraps up his lecture with heed to draw the attention of his students by admonishing, waking them up with the earlier signs of life’s dangers and how to escape from the effects. He said so many things as these:
“Do good to all, treat everyone with kindness, help who need your help, forgive err made to you by others, and call them avast to right, when you do all, God will give you all you want”. “Don’t be envious, hypocritical or jealous of someone success; it is God-gift, exercise patience yours is on the way”. “Please, I beseech you, my beloved students, don’t underrate anyone, you don’t know who he is to God, respect everyone and leave in peace”.
I’m writing in tears here on cheeks, there in mind!! Baba, at his last class, called upon us not to engage in any matter of crimes, “Please my children, even after schooling, don’t engage yourself in crimes, please, don’t, ever, never, it is the wrong way, it is evil don’t bedevil, crimes will throw you into many troubles, which at the end you will not harvest anything but consequences of bitter disillusionment and a disappointing regret. Don’t. Never. Please”. However, it is impossible for me to quote him all. But, at this junction, there are a need for reintroduction, ”Words” where have been? permit me to take the pleasure of narrating the biography of this giant father, a mighty hero, who has been blessed by God with immeasurable talents.
Abubakar, is the first name, while Baba Garba is the other name, which presented the father’s name and the grandfather. He was born in October 1973 in ”Itas Gadau” local government area of Bauchi state. He was brought up in his L.G.A and rose to school primary and secondary all there in ”Itas Gadau”. He got his primary certificate in “Central Primary School Itas Gadau” and secondary school in “GDSS ITAS GADAU”. Later proceed to the most prestigious institution, the best among the rest, “The Federal Polytechnic Bauchi” where he have an Ordinary Diploma which is known as OND. He started working with the certificate of his Diploma in Land and Survey there in his local government, after some years, he transferred to “Giyade, working with Giyade Local Government”. After a while, Baba, expand the journey of his schooling to “Bayero University Kano, BUK” where he obtained a BSc and MSc in Mass Communication. With the completion of his BSc, he got an appointment with his former school, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, as a Graduate Assistant (GA) in the Department of Mass Communication. After successful completion of his MSc, he started PhD still in “BUK”, he has successfully completed his Research, what remains unclear is submission but I this stage something happened!! I will state what, soon.
Abubakar Garba sat with his wives’ peacefully in loving and caring. He is identified as a husband that listens to his family, seeks their advice on any certain matter. He got married to three wifes’, Aisha, Maimuna, and Zainab. God has blessed Abubakar with fourteen children, eight males and six females. Abdulrahman is the eldest brother of all, followed by Kaltume, Usama and others. These mentioned names are all in tertiary institutions while the remaining in primary, junior and senior secondary schools.
My readers, this is Baba Garba, a distinguished senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication Federal Polytechnic Bauchi. Whose his charisma and sacrificing efforts to do the right things makes him champion many names of respect. His colleagues entitled him “Dattijon Kwarai”, students call him “Dan Aljannah”. This Baba at his verge to wrap up PhD in “BUK”; he heeded the call of his Lord, this very year. After brief ill-health at home.
This is death, a serious phenomenon, an inevitable part of man kismet; a prodigy that set the pain of bereavement upon us in general, this phenomenon, comes at random, without one’s consent. This tragedy, the “Death” is the final part of anything that ends everything by leaving tears in the human psyche. It took our beloved father. Yaa Allah! We beseech You with Your most beautiful names, to open all doors of Your Rahma for him and all Good Muslims like him. Yaa Allah! have mercy on him and accommodate him in dwelling Aljannatul Firdaus.
Ameen!
