Late Bashir Muazu Ruma: Mr. Grazing Reserve

The death of Bashir on 9 April 2012 was a deep and painful loss not only to his family, all of his friends and acquaintances but to livestock producers in Nigeria as well. But then, since “every life will taste death”, and “from Allah we came, and to Him we’ll return”, we take solace in […]

The death of Bashir on 9 April 2012 was a deep and painful loss not only to his family, all of his friends and acquaintances but to livestock producers in Nigeria as well. But then, since “every life will taste death”, and “from Allah we came, and to Him we’ll return”, we take solace in the fact that Bashir’s personality positively touched the lives of all his acquaintances. A descendent of the legendary Danwaire the great warrior of Katsina, Bashir exhibited a rare aristocratic simplicity by blending firmness in his leadership style with commitment and concern to assist those in need. This character he brought to bear in his profession, civil service career and personal life. As a Range Scientist he deployed his expertise in the sustainable management of grazing lands and increased livestock production in Nigeria.
Bashir made enormous contributions to livestock development in Nigeria especially in grazing reserves and stock routes development. As Project Manager of National Livestock Development Project (NLPD) in Kaduna, a position he held before his demise, he diligently led and effectively supervised the provision of livestock service centres, water, pasture, fire tracing etc in many of the 145 nationally identified grazing reserves. Also under his watch, the Project successfully completed the demarcation and monumenting of over 7,260 km of international and national transhumance stock routes. Some of these routes are the 1,400km long North West international route from Illela, Sokoto State through Kebbi, Niger States that terminated at Gidan Magajiya grazing reserve in Kwara State. The 1, 500km North East International transhumance route that started from Damask in Borno State through Adamawa, Taraba, Benue States terminating at Obudu in Cross River state. The 1, 700km North Central International Transhumance route from Baure in Katsina State to the Benue and Enugu State border. Stock routes facilitate cattle movements outside farms and thus reduce the habitual farmers-pastoralists clashes.
It is also to his credit that he, against many odds, saw to the completion of the Livestock Pastoralists Training School in Kurmin Biri to train pastoralists in modern livestock husbandry and aid their settlement. Regrettably late Bashir was the last qualified range science graduate in the employment of Federal Department of Livestock. The dearth of these professionals will have an adverse effect in the management of our national herd in general and the environment in particular. With the escalation of resentment of cattle herders settlements in some states, Bashir’s work would more than ever now be needed.
We were physically separated briefly in 1983 when Bashir ventured into politics and was elected to the Federal House of Representatives. That sojourn was short lived by the military coup after which he devoted his time to his civil service career and personal development. We re-united in Kaduna when I took up an appointment with the NLPD in 1987. We thus took off where we left. Bashir was then driving an old jalopy Fiat 132 Climattizata. One day we met one of his Government College Keffi schoolmate, Rabi’u Dauran who is now also late, with some friends. In the course of our discussion one of Rabiu’s friend said he wanted to sell off his car, a beautiful red Toyota. Immediately Bashir offered to buy the car for N6,000. After the conclusion of this major transaction we left with the understanding that Bashir would make good his offer in a few days. Bashir was very excited about the prospects of getting rid of the old Fiat. However deep down I knew Bashir had no such money and that was why he was driving the old Fiat in the first place. So I asked him how he planned to raise the money. He looked at me with all seriousness and said, Junaidu, in life you should always plan big and then you try to make it happen. So I said sarcastically “Ok Jikan Danwaire go ahead and give it your best shot and we see what happens” With that encouragement he left town for some unknown destination. Not quite three days the red Toyota was sold. When I asked the owner why he did not wait for Bashir, he replied that “I took a good look at both of you and concluded that there was no way you would be able raise N6000”. I still believe it was the sight of Bashir’s old Fiat that made him arrive at that conclusion. Anyway Bashir showed up after a few days without the money.
Still on Bashir’s attitude of planning big, one of his childhood friends Iliya Bawale noticed the worn out status of the Fiat tyres and promised to donate 2 tyres. The condition was we had to travel to Minna, Ilya’s duty station to collect the tyres. When we went to Minna over the weekend, the subject matter changed from collecting tyres to Bashir buying Iliya’s Volkswagen Santana car. I said in my mind, here we go again. Of course we returned to Kaduna without the tyres and Bashir never managed to pay for the Santana. 
Bashir always had determination to succeed in whatever he pursued. In 1991 he decided to read MBA on part time at ABU, Zaria. He tried to talk me into it, insisting that MBA was then the in-thing.  I refused. He went behind my back and successfully persuaded my wife to enroll into the program. They both got their MBAs in 1998. Typical Bashir, he went on to also get a Master of International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) in 2001 from the same ABU. May be it was the academic pursuit in particular the MBA or age maturity, but Bashir changed gear in his personal life with aggressive farming and trading. Along with this he provided tremendous support to his friends, relatives and general philanthropy, which he continued to the end. Bashir was very hard working and generous to a fault. He is the type that will give a needy person the shirt off his back. I always marvel at Bashir’s ability to exude confidence in difficult situations irrespective of the reality on the ground. Maybe it is the Danwaire genes in him at work. His philosophy was plan big, give it your best shot and see what happens. Happily, this philosophy and his optimism paid him handsomely.
I met my wife through him. He always referred to her as Goggo Hanne (Aunt from the father’s side) because my mother-in-law is his grandmother but he refused to address me as uncle. An issue that remained unresolved between him and my daughters was how they should address him. My daughters grew up knowing Bashir as my friend over his relationship to their mother. So they always referred to him as uncle Bashir, and his usual reply was always – from where? (as he is their cousin from their mother’s side).
We had concluded the arrangements for the wedding of my eldest daughter, Laila. Bashir as her Wakil had accepted the dowry and fixed the date of 30th June 2012 for the formal wedding fatiha.  A few days before his death, he sent his driver to deliver a message to Laila for me, although he was aware that both my wife and I were not in town. It was her dowry that he had earlier on collected. Allahu Akbar. He died on 9th April 2012, at the age of 57 years. May Allah forgive all his errors and reward him for his good deeds with Aljannat firdaus. 
Dr. Maina is Former Director Federal Department of Livestock. No. 13 Khartoum Street Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. [email protected]