Still struggling to recover from the sadness that had overwhelmed me since last Wednesday, following the sudden demise of my elder brother’s dear wife, Mrs. Abosede Olatunji, fondly called Mama Tobi, and ruminating about her burial scheduled for last Friday, and the future of her two young children, my feeble attempt to get abreast of happenings on the social media suddenly threw my emotions in tatters.
Opening my Facebook account, my eyes were assailed by the unthinkable news of the sudden death of a friend and professional colleague, Mallam Imam Dalhatu Imam, who until his demise in the early hours of last Friday, was the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State.
Gripped by shock, I quickly signed out from the social media as I was again forced by this sad news of the death of a good friend, Mallam Imam, to slip deeper into the mourning mood I was just emerging from, due to last Wednesday’s death of our dear Mama Tobi. May her beautiful soul rest in peace. Amen.
Mallam Imam dead? This must be a nightmare, and I began hoping to soon wake up from my early morning deep slumber!
Still dazed by the sad news, I asked no one in particular what had happened to Imam, who was still full of life during the last conversation we both had over his ambition to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2019 general elections, to represent the people of his Gassol/Bali Federal Constituency of Taraba State.
I quickly recalled that just a month ago, Imam celebrated the birth of a bouncing baby boy by his wife; all his friends felicitated with his family on that joyous occasion. This further made it difficult for me to comprehend the news of his demise last Friday morning.
However, the reality of Imam’s death soon dawned on me, after I had made frantic phone calls to some friends and colleagues in Kaduna and Abuja. The avalanche of tributes that soon followed on the various social media platforms further confirmed my fears.
Our paths crossed when he returned to Kaduna as the state correspondent of Thisday Newspaper, while I was working in the state in the same capacity with The Punch newspapers. Being a naturally friendly personality, Imam walked into The Punch office on Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, one sunny afternoon to introduce himself to me and to seek my cooperation in performing his duty of reporting events in the state. And from then on, we hit it off and watched each other’s backs in order not to miss stories.
Less than two years later, Imam was promoted the Group Political Editor of Thisday newspaper, necessitating his relocation to Lagos. But in spite of the distance, he kept in touch with his friends back in Kaduna and elsewhere across the country.
Whenever he came to Kaduna, he made sure he visited all his friends and former colleagues before returning to his base in Lagos. He never underrated anyone, in spite of his meteoric rise in life and he remained humble till his sudden death.
It is gratifying to note that Imam maintained this natural friendly disposition, even after he became the spokesman to the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. It, therefore, did not surprise many of us when Tambuwal retained him as his spokesman, after he was elected the Governor of Sokoto State in 2015, not minding the fact that Imam was actually from Taraba State.
Immediately he learnt of my appointment as Deputy Editor at The Point Newspaper in 2016, Imam called to congratulate me and wish me success. From then on, he would send me news items about his principal almost on a daily basis for publication on our online platform and in the weekly hard copy. This cerebral publicist also even became an unofficial columnist, writing not only on his principal and Sokoto State, but also on other issues of national interest in The Point.
Imam Dalhatu Imam, you exemplified humility and good naturedness. The news of your death is still a shock to many of us, who knew you closely, and so it shall remain for some time.
This is so devastating! Although we cannot question God, the creator of all human beings, we’ll keep grieving because death snatched you away in your prime. You were such a friend who lived your life for others, an altruist. But like a bird of passage, you did not stay long enough on this side of the divide. Almighty Allah knows best. Today, and sadly too, you have passed on with that unrealised dream of fighting the cause of your people at the National Assembly come 2019!
My heart goes to your family, your young wife and very young children, who I’m sure would never come to terms with the short life you lived. But I hope they would take solace in the fact that your lifetime was fruitful.
Mallam Imam, saying goodbye is, indeed, a herculean task. But you have made your mark. May the Lord grant your sweet soul
eternal rest.
Goodnight, Imam Dalhatu Imam.
