abdulraheem
When about two weeks ago, the story broke that Chief Sunday Awoniyi had escape death in an accident on the Kaduna-Abuja Express Way, I had made frantic contacts with members of his family, especially his Son, Dare, and his companion, Alhaji Adamu, Wazirin Fika, to know the true state of his condition. It was on the basis of those contacts that we wrote a front page report on the accident the following day. What struck me was the depth of love that ordinary people, from all backgrounds, have for Chief Sunday Awoniyi. On the DAILY TRUST website, there were several sincere wishes for a quick recovery from the accident. The underling current of thought, was the devotion to truth and the well-being of the Nigerian people, which Chief Awoniyi had come to be known for, all over our country. There was of course the passion to hold very dearly, the memory of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the former Premier of Northern Nigeria. Chief Sunday Awoniyi was one of the remarkable young men of the early post-colonial period who helped to build the Civil Service in Northern Nigeria, which became a true redoubt for service to the multi-ethnic, multi-religious Northern Region; and in the process of their service, they built long lasting friendships and political alliances which helped to define the very best of the Nigerian situation for a very long time into the future of our country, even with its often contradictory outcomes. A witty raconteur, in the very best tradition of that phrase, Chief Awoniyi had a superb memory, and could recall even the most obscure event of the early years of independence, especially in Northern Nigeria, to help illustrate an event he is helping to clarify, in the present. This ability to illuminate the historical condition must also be placed alongside his genuine sense of loyalty to his friendships and his old colleagues, spanning decades of transaction and relationship. But if he had that ability to make a historical excursion, it is also striking that Chief Awoniyi also possessed the heart of the young, because of that ability he had to effortless draw the empathy of the younger generation; young people feel drawn to him because they know that he would be willing to listen sympathetically to their concerns, and he was ever ready to provide very sincere mentoring, advise and guidance. He was one of the earliest victims of the vindictive politics of General Olusegun Obasanjo, and his insights about the man and what the ruling PDP became, in the past few years, helped considerably to organise a nation-wide constituency of resistance to the tenure elongation project, which almost derailed Nigeria’s democratic process. Chief Awoniyi has been the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in the past few years, and his leadership of the socio-political organisation of Northern Nigeria, was accepted all around the North largely because of his devotion to the best interests of its peoples, all through his outstanding career as a civil servant and politician. It was Adamu Adamu who captured effectively the enigma of Chief Awoniyi: “Neither Hausa nor Fulani, yet (Awoniyi) is recognized by all as the embodiment of the complete Hausa-Fulani personality. Here is this strange man who surpasses Fulani in PULAKU, who beats the Hausa at the display of KARA; and has retained all the virtues of minority ness in a pluralist geographical entity” Tragically, it is that wonderful man that we have lost. Chief Sunday Awoniyi was a genuine Nigerian patriot, who served with honesty at a time when public service meant commitment to the public good. It is such an example of dedicated service which Nigeria needs to learn from. Unfortunately, Chief Sunday Awoniyi is no longer here to offer his counsel to those attempting to build Nigeria a new. With his death, Nigeria is a head shorter today, and Chief Sunday Awoniyi was one of our best heads indeed.
