Tribute to Bilikisu Yusuf , veteran journalist and activist

One must wax emotional and hyperbolic sentiments when paying tribute to a fellow veteran journalist and social activist like the late Bilkisu Yusuf, a detribalised Nigerian. She was never involved in sectionalism and debauchery. Bilkisu, whom I fondly called Billy, passed onto eternity during a stampede that claimed many lives in Saudi Arabia on September […]

One must wax emotional and hyperbolic sentiments when paying tribute to a fellow veteran journalist and social activist like the late Bilkisu Yusuf, a detribalised Nigerian. She was never involved in sectionalism and debauchery. Bilkisu, whom I fondly called Billy, passed onto eternity during a stampede that claimed many lives in Saudi Arabia on September 24, 2015. There is the need to mark the transition to extraterrestrial glory of this hardworking journalist and cerebral scholar.
Her knack for excellence, both in public and private engagements, is a fact that cannot be debated.
Like fish takes to water, I struck a good relationship with Billy at first sight when she was employed by the Kano State Ministry of Information in the late 70s as an information officer after graduation in Political Science. I was introduced to her by late Mustapha Danbatta, a one-time editor of The Citizen newspaper, the first newspaper in the North published by the Gaskiya Publishing Corporation. Mustapha was a senior colleague on the New Nigerian Newspaper, with the responsibility of writing editorials when it debuted on January 1, 1966.
He was fondly called “Haba Mallam” after the newspaper editorial lambasted members of the northern House of Assembly for being an expensive rubber stamp by passing the bills sent to it by the executive Premier Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. The premier ordered his arrest and detention. Despite that, Mustapha stood his ground and refused to apologise as demanded. The editorial was titled: “Haba Mallam.” He was later deployed to Kano State as Assistant Chief Information Officer when the state was created. His elder brother, Magaji Danbatta, another renowned journalist and broadcaster, also known as “Bakodaya,” became a permanent secretary.
The late Hajiya Bilkisu was attached to Mustapha for training on her engagement by the ministry, as a result of which she also became one of my students. I worked in the state on my arrival from Kenya in 1968, where I was trained as a journalist by the International Press Institute (IPI) with the fund of Ford Foundation of USA.
After her humble personal approach to me to teach her the act of journalism, I took interest in Billy and made her to attend all the workshops and seminars on journalism, organised by me through the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the British Council and the then United States Information Service (USIS). Billy called me “Oga Ajayi” after attending my workshops on news reporting, page design and layout. Our path never crossed again until she was deployed to the government-owned Triumph Publishing Company from the ministry to edit the Sunday Triumph. As the northern bureau chief of the Nigerian Herald, published by the Kwara Government Publishing Company, I was, on the request of the Kano government, deployed to the TPC as the managing editor in October 1983 to 1984 before the civilian government of Alh. Shehu Shagari was overthrown by the military under General Muhammadu Buhari.
With Billy as one of the editors, we achieved unparalled and matchless results in virtually all the projects undertaken during my sojourn in the TPC. Billy exemplified hard-work, honesty, transparency, accountability and discipline. She brought these priceless virtues to bear in every of her assignments, even in official dealings. She lived ahead of her time.
Beside good official rapport, her husband, the late Barrister Mohammed Sanusi Yusuf, who became the chief of judge of the Gambia and later that of Kano State, turned to be one of my best friends, with their little children, Nana Fatima and Mushood. Justice Yusuf died as Madakin Kano after his retirement as chief judge.
 Billy, as a tough-minded optimist, was never given to shying away from offering herself for service, even at the expense of her freedom and comfort.
“We should all become channels of blessing to others,” she was always saying. She was never a narrow thinker and intellectual parasite. She was generous with knowledge. She shared without holding anything back and became an invaluable asset till the very moment she breathed her last because she was always updating me on her activities. Having edited three newspapers – the Sunday Triumph, the New Nigerian and Citizen magazine – she became a civil rights activist – covering gender, Islam, politics under different non-governmental organisations.
She had an impressive run touching lives and has left imprimatur as a women leader. She truly had the capacity to lead. As a great humanist who perished out of human error, Billy will forever live in our hearts. Chario, Cantata. Sleep well, Billy.
Prince Ajayi Memaiyetan wrote from [email protected]