By Ibrahim M. Baba
babamibrahim@gmail.com
“It is ONE YEAR NOW, but the pain is still fresh in our memories”
Innalillahi wa Inna Ilaihir Raji’un! Although, it is a known fact that every soul shall taste death, the unusual sudden deaths we continue to experience during this pandemic is so scary and shocking.
It was around 2:51 PM on the 27th April, 2020 when a friend of mine AMINU SANI MUSA interrupted my afternoon sleep only to break the sad news. I couldn’t believe what he was saying in the first place, not because I doubt the story, but because of the sudden nature of the death. This is somebody I chatted with just 3 – 4 days ago.
I became weak, and so reluctant to do anything, my mind just began to recall the numerous instances we engaged in a heavy debate with Prof. on some of the things going on in the country, and how he showed dissatisfaction with the way things are going.
I recalled the last post he made on continuation of ASUU strike, even when government agreed to pay their withheld salaries, saying that their demands have not been met. I quickly followed him on private chat to continue on the matter as usual, but this time he refused to respond to all my comments.
I didn’t give a damn, because I know he was no longer interested in long conversation with me, especially when I stand bold to depend the Buhari’s Government, infact, he used to be fun of calling me “The Buharist”.
Back then in school, my interactions with him during undergraduate days was quite impressive. He was a Professor per excellence, he teaches with passion and perseverance. He is one of the most intelligent professor in the field of Mass Communication.
Communication Research, one of the courses he taught me was very broad. But whenever he came into class, Maikaba will break it into pieces and bring it down to your full understanding. Infact, in the whole Mass Communication Department, no one teaches that course better than him during those days. Perhaps we could say Dr. Mainasara Kurfi is the second after him.
Mallam, if Prof. Maikaba is teaching you research, you will begin to imagine weather it was the only thing he know in his entire life. Up till today, whenever I pick any book to read in Communication Research, I will just be seeing Maikaba in my mind till I finish reading it.
Although our interactions with him in Communication Law and Ethics class was not so long, yet we have received the best out of that course before he handed it over to Dr. Ruqayya who eventually completed the course for us in 400 level.
These two courses taught by the late Maikaba have made a remarkable impact in my life as I graduated. All what we learned from him in the class were just a replica of what I mostly came across in the field as a practicing journalist, especially in the area of law and ethics.
One can only say, Maikaba was too strict, which most people also mistaken to mean wickedness. But you can never say, Maikaba did not know his hands in Mass Communication.
Of course, he used to be so strict with his lectures and never take nonsense from students. But that doesn’t mean he sounds wicked at all times. I recalled his style of taking attendance, which was my first trouble with him when I secretly wrote my friend’s name who was not in the class during the lectures.
Immediately after the class, he tried to verify the attendance and discovered that someone wrote another person’s name. He then sent for me and the person that signed next to me. As we entered his office, his face turned wild and was so angry with us. After few minutes, he looked up and said we should just tell him who did that. So I quickly answered that I was the one.
He then asked to know, whose number did I wrote? I told him it was a friend of mine who couldn’t make it to the class. He felt more angry and said to me, so you wrote your Girlfriend’s number in my attendance? You don’t know me right? I told him it was a male friend, not a female.
He then traced the Registration number in his records and found that it was a male name. He became calm and said, you’re lucky you have said the truth. “Don’t ever repeat this again, you are humble and gentle, but you are trying to put yourself in trouble”. He sounded a good warning to me and asked us to leave.
That person’s name was IDRIS JIBRIN (now a Kano State Correspondent of Channels Television) who happens to be my best friend on the campus.
My friends were surprised that Maikaba has not taken any action against me, even though he was so angry with what I did. Since then however, I understand that the man is simple, only that he was serious with his work.
Another unforgettable experience with Prof. Maikaba was when I contested for the post of the MACOSA President in the department.
There was intense competition in the election which led to a serious dispute between my supporters and that of my opponent. Most of the students hold the notion that someone who joined the University through Direct Entry (D.E) must not be allowed to be the president.
As part of the plan to ruin my candidature, some people went and published false allegations against me, which went viral on campus just a day to the election.
The publication accused me as Editor of the then Campus Newspaper – BAYERO BEACON, of conniving with a Course Lecturer and cornered the whole money contributed for the production of the newspaper.
I therefore intended to take legal action against the perpetrators of the said publication, I wrote to the Registrar that I wanted to seek legal redress, copied the police commissioner, the state high court and one private legal chamber in Kano.
The Registrar quickly summoned Prof. Maikaba as the Head of Department and told him to bring those behind such malicious act.
The next day, I received a call from Maikaba inviting me to his office. We discussed extensively on the matter and he forced me to withdrew the case. Since then, we became more closer with Prof. Maikaba, we continue to exchange calls, texts and continuously chat on social media platforms.
He told me many things about life and how people will just hate you without concrete reason. He tried to console me and gave me some good advice that help me explore my talents.
Contrary to what many of us thought about Maikaba, I found him very humble, honest and respectful. He discharges responsibilities given to him diligently.
Indeed, the death of Professor Balarabe Maikaba is a great lost, not only to his family, Bayero University and Kano State, but a lost to the whole nation and pen profession.
As a great pillar in Mass Communication, a compendium of Media Studies and Communication Research, his exit has left a great vacuum in the academic circle and professionalism.
May God the Almighty forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdausi.
Ibrahim M.Baba
27/04/2020
