In 2005, about a decade and half ago,I ran into a friend whose origin is from the South West on his ability to secure a gainfully employed job in a highly competitive Lagos at the Federal Ministry of Aviation parastatal ,he ran down memory lane that grace and destiny used a “Woman” from Kogi state to secure him a pensionable job without a God Father or Mother at that particular point in time.
Another experience was five years later in 2010 as a Banker in the steel City of Jos,a long time Ibo friend from the South East, who was equally an employee of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),deployed to Jos airport on my way to Lagos,my attempt to engage him how he managed to do it, was filled with emotion how the Lord used a “Mother” at the headquaters to employ him and later redeployed to Jos.
The experience was endless,while in Kano airport,in my quest to get the original copies of my results in 2012,after I have left my Banking career job,soon after Sanusi tsunami hit the sector,some of my mates we graduated for over ten years and even students I thought at the Kogi state University Anyigba, revealed how a “Woman” of good conduct assisted them to become staffers of the same organisation,now deployed to Kano some few years ago then .
For those of my students from KSU spread across the three Senatorial zones in Kogi, that consists of mainly the Yorubas,Ebiras,other languages and the majority Igala extraction,expressed deep gratitude to the same “Woman” who ensured they were employed then into the same FAAN, either through Servicom,ASEC,the securtiy outfit and others .
While in Kano some few years ago,alot of people from all walks of life were newly employed and deployed to Kano as new staffers of the organsition,during my visit to their homes,it was like a hostel as what I saw, was over 50 sons and daughters of Kogi extraction newly employed into different offices of FAAN.
I interacted with some of the newly employed staffs particularly from Kogi Central,they were grateful to Almighty God for using the “Woman” to replace and continue the efforts made by late A.T. Ahmed to secure their employement.
In Abuja office of the same organisation,I broke down in tears,seeing a friend who left the Univeristy 15 years ago and another one,who went into the University through menial jobs and assistance from the current Federal Lawmaker representing Dekina/Bassa ,during his post graduate programs in BUK.
To crown it all,I had a friend and a Brother who never knew anybody anywhere,but after he approached the same “Woman”,he became employed,as the most devastated one was another friend that died with his offer letter waiting for collection in Lagos office.
This is different from so many I ran into from all walks of life,and on inquiry,they will retort,it is the same this “Woman” at the centre stage, is their benefactor.
The story was endless,a colleague of mine was sacked and frustrated from his job in the state Univeristy Anyigba,when next I saw him ,he broke down wailing like a baby,praying fervently for our only “Woman” of selfless attitude.
Could it be a friend who was written off by the immediate family members and was later rehabilitated and placed in a lucrative job by this same “Woman” after years of graduation from the University.
Soon after the close to two decades stint in FAAN and the new status,alot of successes has been achieved and more goodwill to the people carried out just one year into the office by our indefatigable “Woman”.
All these story of Selflessness, humility,kindness, perseverance,and passion to move people from the doldrums of underdevelopment,poverty, disease and decapitation to self sustenance,self realisation to productive status was occassioned by this attributes of nobody,but Hajia Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma innately conjectured and Godly sent not only to kogites,but the entire country Nigeria.
Filled with high level candour, assessible and accessible, down to earth, non discriminatory irrespective of creed,religion,background and political inclination.
With these good traits even though there is no perfection in human activities,those waiting on the row should tarry,as she is conscious to beqeuath on individuals all privileges, opportunities and not rights to make everybody realise it’s potentials.
She did not even stop at that,as all her extraction had been tailored and tutored towards good gesture particularly to humanity.
No wonder,the Federal Lawamker, coincidentally her younger brother,has continued in that trend even after doing alot interms of placement of kogites and people from all walks of life in a ganifully employed Jobs.
It is erroneous, unfounded, unthinkable, incomprehensible and unacceptable for anybody to have another notion aside all these.
“Patience,they said is a virtue,as nobody who imbibe it,will seldom go unrewarded”.
Yusuf Writes From Abuja
