Mamman Kontagora: A rare patriot

The fact that one of General Kontagora’s daughters, Hauwa, is married to a brother of mine, availed me with the opportunity of not only knowing the family but also of discovering, understanding and appreciating the rare patriotism, moral discipline, modesty, commitment and the exemplary sense of responsibility in our late father-in-law. I feel obliged by […]

The fact that one of General Kontagora’s daughters, Hauwa, is married to a brother of mine, availed me with the opportunity of not only knowing the family but also of discovering, understanding and appreciating the rare patriotism, moral discipline, modesty, commitment and the exemplary sense of responsibility in our late father-in-law. I feel obliged by my little knowledge of General Kontagora to pen down this piece in his memory.
With access to public funds and in addition to a network of highly placed individuals in public offices, General Kontagora refused to abuse privileges of office and status. Unlike many of his military colleagues and civilian contemporaries, “Baba” as he was warmly called by his children, never gave notes to his children to secure employment or win contracts. The case of my brother’s wife may be a relevant instance to be cited. Although she graduated in 2002 and was among the few who made second class upper (2:1) degree in law, she yet remained without employment until 2008 when the job naturally came from the university she graduated. She waited this long because it was not in Baba’s character to give notes to his children to secure employment. Many public officers today including ministers and commissioners do not only give their children jobs before their graduation but also make them and their wives’ major contractors in their offices.
Baba’s patriotism humbled me when I got to know that of all his 9 children who are university graduates, none except the eldest schooled abroad. Even then, the son went there on the scholarship of one of Baba’s close friends. Baba detested the “education tourism” that has today become trendy among Nigerian elites.
General Kontagora was a man of few words not because he always lacked what to say but because he preferred his actions to speak for him. During the 3rd Annual Trust Dialogue that held at the Abuja Sheraton, chaired by General Garba Ali Mohammed (another Bawan-Allah), General Kontagora refused to make any comments even when General Garba left his seat on the podium and came down to plead with the former to contribute to the topic of discussion which was on corruption. General Kontagora said there was no point repeating that which has rightly been said by others. Only a man of few words would choose not to speak where speeches are considered to be status symbols.
At a public function convened by the Chief Servant of Niger State on the 7th of January 2008 at the Government House in Minna, General Kontagora remained a listening participant whose wish was noticeably not to speak at the occasion until the Chief Servant pleaded with him to contribute. He declared when he stood up to speak that he actually did not want to attend the interactive session. His reason, he explained, was that AbdulKadir Kure called them on two occasions during his 8-year tenure as governor to the same venue to discuss the poor state of education in the state. “To the best of my knowledge,” General Kontagora remarked. “Nothing concrete was done to improve upon the state of education in Kontagora emirate which had been labeled educationally disadvantaged,” he said.
As a man of moral discipline, General Kontagora was not a smoker, drinker or womanizer, vices associated with many men in the military. He never went out after returning home from office (during his military and public service careers) or farm unless there was a strong reason. He was observably impatient with poor command of the English Language as well as with any behavior that symbolizes laziness, deviance or irresponsibility. Indeed, it was not his idea to have a home in Abuja after serving as FCT Minister but for his family whose body language illustrated their unpreparedness to live in Kontagora where he retired to. He would only come to Abuja once in a while to see his family and return to Kontagora. Living in the city was never his priority.
He left indelible footprints of hard work in all the places he served either as a minister in the case of Federal Ministry of Works and FCT or as a Sole Administrator at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. His refusal to be an office-bound minister or public servant accounted greatly for his achievement in various offices.
General Kontagora’s children will miss him for many humorous moments he has shared with them. I experienced his legendary sense of humour firsthand when I went with my brother to greet him after he was discharged from the hospital some months ago. My brother’s wife and her elder brother exchanged jokes over a matter. Baba then humorously remarked saying, “So, seniority in age has lost its place that you freely joke among yourselves like this?” We all laughed. May Allah (SWT) grant him eternal mercy and make al-Jannah his final abode, amin. 
Suleiman’s sudden exit:
Malam Suleiman Mohammed, Managing Editor of Media Trust newspapers, a gentleman journalist in every meaning of the phrase, and a friend passed away on Thursday morning in the very sudden way death tends to operate. My heart goes out to his family, colleagues and friends who will certainly miss him. May Allah (SWT) forgive him his sins and grant him eternal rest, amin.