Tsafe: In memory of a sterling journalist

On Wednesday July 4, 2018 at about 5:45am while entering my hotel room in Abuja from the mosque where I had gone to say my morning prayer, I spotted my phone blinking, indicating I had missed some calls. I browsed the phone; there was a missed call and a SMS, all from Aliyu Adamu Tsafe, […]

On Wednesday July 4, 2018 at about 5:45am while entering my hotel room in Abuja from the mosque where I had gone to say my morning prayer, I spotted my phone blinking, indicating I had missed some calls.

I browsed the phone; there was a missed call and a SMS, all from Aliyu Adamu Tsafe, a senior professional colleague and the Chairman/CEO of Gamji TV and Dan Madamen Tsafe. At first, I thought he called to remind me of his pending payment, but the massage was more terrifying than the demand for payment.

The SMS reads: “Inna lillahi Wa’inna Ilaihir Raju’um. I called to inform you about the death of Sani Abdullahi Tsafe”. The SMS was too brief, but grieving and painful. I simply broke down in tears. 

After a while, I summoned courage and called back Aliyu Adamu Tsafe. The story was true. We both broke down in tears together, reciting “Inna lillahi Wa’inna Ilaihir Raju’um. I told him I would inform His Excellency Governor Abdulaziz Yari immediately. I quickly dialed the governor’s number and after ringing for a while, his wife picked the call and said he was reciting the holy Quran. I then told her what happened. She too was shocked by the news, and promised to tell his Excellency. 

On hearing our conversation, he stopped his reading and requested for the phone. As I broke the sad news to him, he was off the phone for about 8 minutes. He then asked me.  ‘Are you sure of what you are telling me’? And I replied in the affirmative. There was a long silence. The wife then collected the phone and spoke to me. ‘It is okay Honourable’, as she used to address me. She said ‘He is crying Honourable. So, give him some time, he will get back to you’.

I then put another call through to the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Sanda Mohammed Danjari, on the sad news. He too was speechless.

After some time, he called me back and together with Aliyu Adamu Tsafe who was in consultation with the family, we suggested the time for the burial and decided that the Hon Commissioner for Information make the official announcement of the death to the public. We ordered that the state broadcasting corporation suspend all its scheduled programmes for the day and replace them with reading from the Holy Qur’an and sermons.

Arrangement for the burial began with the transportation of the corpse from Nizamiya Hospital Abuja where he died at about 2:30am to Tsafe his home town, where he was laid to rest. 

A complete gentleman, a veteran journalist with a golden voice, a legend, a man of proven integrity and a man of the people, late Sani Abdullahi Danmasanin Tsafe was a husband of three and father of sixteen with several grand children.

A seasoned broadcaster and teacher, the late Danmasanin Tsafe was described by many, particularly his ardent listeners across West Africa as the man with a golden voice. A fearless and courageous star in the journalism industry and an information management guru, late Sani Abdullahi Tsafe was a developmental journalist, and fearless radio broadcaster whose interest and focus was always the common man. These professional ethics made him very popular among his professional colleagues and radio listeners across the West African sub-region.  

His demise has brought pain, confusion and sorrow, to me and many other professional colleagues. It was a death that left me with series of questions:

It is true he is dead? 

When do I see him again?

Has the joyful and jovial relationship between us come to an end?

What about the useful and critical advice we used to give each other at times of critical decision making?

When would he visit my house again?

These and many related questions have been plaguing my mind about late Sani Abudullahi Tsafe.

I strongly believe that Honorable Ibrahim Mohammad Danmadamen Birnin Magaji, Honorable Engr. Lawal Jibrin Jangebe, Honorable Aminu Adamu Dankwagila, other close associates and well wishers who shared very joyful moments with Late Sani Abdullahi Tsafe would join me and His Excellency Governor Abdulaziz Yari in spending the rest of our lives thinking, remembering and praying for the repose of the soul of the departed Sani Abudullahi Danmasanin Tsafe.

I therefore wish to, on behalf of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Zamfara State and Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum Honorable Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar (Shatiman Zamfara), condole the entire family, Tsafe Emirate Council, friends, associates and well wishers on this irreparable loss. 

May the Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive him all his short comings and reward him with Jannatul Firdausi and give the family the fortitude to bear this great loss.

Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Zamfara State on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communication, wrote in from Zamfara.