WAKE UP: Still on Dangote, Rabiu, others, their recent Umrah with President Buhari and the lessons for Nigeria’s agents of bias
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Today is 24 November 2021. Four days to make one month (28 October 2021) that President Muhammadu Buhari, along with world’s richest black man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, son of late Alhaji Isiaka Rabiu, the wealthy Leader of Tijaniyyah Sufi Group in Nigeria and President of BUA Group of Companies, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal and oil magnate, Alhaji Wale Tinubu performed Umrah, the Lesser Hajj in Haram Makkah, world’s holiest centre of worship for Muslim, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Performing the Lesser Hajj is not exactly what caught my attention but the fact that their standings showed to me the reality that there is no one that is great except Allah. And I also learned from that standings that there are some leaders in Nigeria, who, of a surety, realise that they are nothing without Allah the Almighty. It was so much that when I looked at the palm slipper that Alhaji Aliko Dangote put on inside his Harami, the pilgrim’s two-pair white wear, I can comfortably say it is not by all standard more important than the same of that slipper my wife just bought in Agege market lately. It doesn’t matter whether those that went to buy it for him would declare the actual price or not. What matters to me here is, does Dangote care?
In Makkah, you don’t know who is who. I remember I was sleeping on bare floor in Musdalifah, a point pilgrims arrive to spend the night upon return from Arafat, and I was later told that the man sleeping next behind me was President of a particularly important African country. I said waoh! This was said to me by some of my co-Hujjaj among who was a DSS senior officer that we performed together. Although at that time I didn’t know he was DSS officer…May Allah forgive and admit Saffi in AlJannah Firdaus…He died of COVID-19 in Sokoto last year having been contracted by an innocent superior, who paid him visit in hospital over a sickness that was never covid-related…So sad I lost the fine officer in Sokoto Command.
That was Dangote, the man I call Mr. Money and also Mr. Benefactor – Not as if I ever spent his kobo but I love the way he uses his wealth to better the lives of all regardless their religious, ethnic and racist backgrounds. I remember the spokesman of Dangote Group at his Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos head office happened to be an Igbo man. There was a time I had cause to be part of journalists that interviewed after his installation with a doctorate degree honour at Crescent University Abeokuta and he was telling us to get the contact of his media handler, one Yoruba man.
The lesson in this for many of our employers of labour in Southern Nigeria, who are Southerners and non-Muslim is to embark on attitudinal change and do what is right. I have experienced an employer in Lagos, who told me that “Yes, you and that lady came first in the interview but we chose her because she is our church member.” I won’t say more. I have also seen situation where JAMB CBT operators would shut the door at female Muslim candidate because she wears hijab on a day of such a life shaping examination. Prince Bola Ajibola practically absolved one of eight Muslim brothers sacked by a big press or publishing company in Ibadan, who were removed from office because they were seen performing afternoon prayer – suhri. It is only in Yoruba Land that Muslims are seen as not to enjoy their religious rights as enshrined in the Constitution. I don’t need to blame the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) any longer for this because, even fellow Christians, who detest these behaviours, know that this problem exists.
But Alhaji Aliko Dangote does not look at anyone meant to be employed for a job as whether Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Northerner or Southerner. He takes merit and pays heavily for quality services delivery. This is the same man that I found so interesting performing Lesser Hajj with another wonderful leader of world standard, President of World’s greatest black nation, Nigeria, President Muhammadu Alhaji Buhari, GCFR.
AbdulSamad Isiaka Rabiu? Kai! Another fantastic business leader. An elite of note. So simple and helpful. Yes, I have never spent his money in my life but my integrity and the name of my father are not for sale. I talk about quality life lived by anybody whether he is Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa-Fulani. Alhaji AbdulSamad is great. He too is humbled in Harami during the Lesser Hajj and one would wonder why Nigeria remain what it is that we still have many people crying of not being well cared for, with this crop of wealth, humble individuals amidst. That is talk for another day. In the meantime, whatever you are asked to distribute to better the lot of the less privileged by these wealthy servants of Allah, you should ask yourselves: How far just have I been with those trusts? The answer will then expose the reason Nigeria still crawls at 61.
In the meantime, I say GOD BLESS NIGERIA and wish President Buhari, Alhaji Dangote, Rabiu, Mangal and Tinubu well with their last Umrah and pray that Allah would accept their Lesser Hajj as an act of Ibadah. Amiin.
*Alhaji Bashir Adefaka, an Isolo, Akure South Local Government Prince, is Lagos-based Journalist and Media and Publicity Consultant. Reach him via omope72@gmail.com and Whatshap: 08163323906.
