How biographies can unite Nigeria – Poloma

Bookshelf: Why did you decide to write a biography of late Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari? Haruna Yayaha Poloma: The late Brigadier was, perhaps, the greatest military officer, ever in the history of the Nigerian army. This is aside the fact that he was the first regular combatant commissioned officer in the same Nigerian army. As the […]

Bookshelf: Why did you decide to write a biography of late Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari?

Haruna Yayaha Poloma: The late Brigadier was, perhaps, the greatest military officer, ever in the history of the Nigerian army. This is aside the fact that he was the first regular combatant commissioned officer in the same Nigerian army. As the world knows, he died on January 15, 1966. Sine he passed away, series of convulsions followed in Nigerian history. Attention was never given to his legacies, nothing was ever documented about him and the great legacy he left behind, both in the army and Nigeria as a country. It is for that reason that I was motivated to take up this challenge, to bring out what can be captured about the man and his career, particularly to expose the values he represented and how they can help Nigeria today. It is my hope that readers would see how Nigeria was once a united entity. In the book, contributors cut across ethnic groups and religions, and they all spoke unanimously about the subject. About the great figure he was, the detribalised Nigerian he was, the father he was and so on. These are the qualities Nigerians need to emulate today. 

Bookshelf: What did your research work involve? 

Poloma: Basically, my research involved reading the scanty literature I could find on the subject. Nothing much was written, except references to him in literatures and other texts. Some writers made only passing references of him. He was never a central subject in any article or book. That was one of the challenges. Bearing in mind that the subject died when I myself was a toddler, I cannot claim to be an authority. So I tried to reach out to the individuals still alive, who either went to school with him or worked with him in the military. But most of them, especially in the military, were his juniors. Still, they were able to give a glimpse of the great figure and inspiration he was, across ethnic, religious and geographical boundaries. Another challenge was, these individuals I interviewed are spread across Nigeria. They are all very busy and influential Nigerians and reaching out to them individually was a herculean task. 

Bookshelf: Kindly list some of these subjects you interviewed?

Poloma: The ones reflected in the book are forty-five in number. For instance, I interviewed late Malam Liman Ciroma, who was the first trained archaeologist in Nigeria and was former secretary to a military government in Nigeria. There was also Malam Ahmed Joda, who was the chairman of the Buhari administration transition committee. He was in Barewa College with the late Brigadier. Also, former heads of states General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Presdient Muhammadu Buhari, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Lieutenant Colonel Tony Eze,m who was the first Nigerian commander of the signal corps in the army and so on. 

Bookshelf: Biographies sometimes seem to only praise and are hardly objective. What approach did you take?

Poloma: True, a lot of biographies tend to be no more than glorification of the subjects, which in a sense is understandable, because if you are not fascinated by the subjected, you would not write about him or her. However, I spoke through the lenses of my contributors, so they are not my words and I was not in a position to influence or be bias about their contributions or opinions. That makes it authentic. I did not influence their responses. He was someone they worked with and knew, so I could not embellish their accounts to glorify the subject. These speak for the subject, because there has never been an officer like him in the Nigerian army. 

Bookshelf: How do you view the relevance of biographies and autobiographies in leaving lasting legacies for the next generation?

Poloma: Biographies are perhaps, the most invaluable ways to document the history of people that made extra-ordinary contributions to their society and also to espouse the values they represented for present and future generations. Somehow, we tend to politicise accounts and distort history and to some extent owing to financial benefits. That is why most like to write about the living or people who are in high position of authority or influence without caring if there is anything worthy of remembering. But in this case, my subject died almost fifty-two years ago. People need to know that there were once Nigerians who were not tribalistic, who did not care about religious differences, who were professionals and represented truth, courage and excellence. 

Bookshelf: What would the book portend for the unity of this country?

Poloma: The book will remind all Nigerians that there are historical figures who looked at this country as a united entity, paid the supreme price for its unity and looked at Nigerians, never from a religious or tribal perspective, but as one people. These are the values we need urgently, especially at this time. Maimalari’s constituency was the military. He was a soldiers soldier. Some say he was the best military officer in Africa in his time. Now we have our military struggling with so many challenges, particularly with insurgency in the North-east and militancy in the Niger-Delta. A lot of our gallant officers have lost their lives in the process. Also, because these conflicts are far removed from the populace in other parts of the country, we tend to view it in a detached sense and do not appreciate the sacrifices they make. I feel this is my own humble contribution in bringing out one of their heroes, so Nigerians remember that the military remains a critical institution in this country and continues to play a vital role in our security.