Desmond Thomas Doss was a United States army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in world war II. Born on the 7th of February, 1919. Doss was twice awarded the Bronze Star medal (BSM) for actions in Guam and the Philippines, he further distinguished himself in the Battle of Okinawa by saving over 70 men thus becoming the only Conscientious Objector to receive the Medal of Honour for his actions during the war.
Every country has its own Conscientious Objector, in recent memory Nigeria’s Conscientious Objector deserving of a National Honour an equivalence of United State’s Bronze Star medal is Mr. Allen Ifechukwu Onyema born in March 1964 in Benin City. He is the CEO of Air Peace which he established in 2013.
In 2019 during the height of Xenophobic attacks on Africans in South Africa, hundreds of Nigerians were left stranded in South Africa with many dead including countless innocent Nigerians. Thus, with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari through the Nigerian High Commission, Air Peace airlifted over 500 Nigerians back home free of Charge. In the words of Chief Onyema “I shed tears when I saw the Nigerians being evacuated bonding in love and unity while singing the National Anthem with passion”. For a country that has been on the end of socio-ethnic and religious tensions watching the evacuees recite the National Anthem with passion, tears inadvertently fell down my eyes as well.
Dr. Yahaya Baba Adamu (Our Conscientious Objector) was born in November, 16th 1966, he hails from Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. He is happily married with Children, he speaks English, Hausa and Egbira fluently. In the words of Steve Jobs “The only way to do great work is to love what you do”. Which explains why the president of the Federal Republic appointed him Medical Director effective from May 7, 2018.
Being a critical care specialist Dr. Yahaya Adamu assumed office with a passion to achieve greatness by laying down his blueprint to transform the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi to a Hospital of Global Standard based on International best practice by improving on the achievement of the previous administration. In almost 4 years of his administration, the hospital has witnessed monumental changes in infrastructural Development and acquisition of state of the Art Equipment to enable the centre perform ground breaking surgeries such as separation of Conjoined Twins in July 2020 and the insertion of Pacemaker in the heart. The intensive care unit has also been immensely equipped to standard making it one of the best in the country. To ensure effective service delivery the New UltraModern Laboratory Complex, Dialysis Centre and Ward Extensions have all been completed while the Multi-Specialist clinic is almost completed.
Dr. Yahaya Baba Adamu is driven by his immense passion to save lives based on his conscience which he preaches since he assumed office, with his most common phrase “The Ubuntu Principle” which is aimed at fostering unity and teamwork amongst individuals to achieve a common goal. Dr. Yahaya Adamu couldn’t have achieved this feat without the teamwork of his 3 Core Musketeers; The Albert Einstein of Finance, the Philanthropist from an ancient town in the South West of the Country known for its unique wood crafts and Koso drums, the Confucius of Administration, An Educator per Excellence from the prestigious Rindre tribe and finally the wizard of dentistry who hails from the ancient city of coal in the South Eastern part of the country.
Like Thomas Doss, every Nigerian that exhibits sheer passion for saving lives of Nigerians based on his or her conscience deserves a Bronze Star Medal, a National Honour or perhaps, a second term in office.
Zaharadeen Musa Writes In From Keffi
