A Toast to Turaki Nigeria At 69 -By Louis Okoroma

The name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, is a household name in Nigeria and beyond. This is not only because of the fact that he had at one point in his life and in the history of Nigeria occupied the exalted office of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where he acquitted himself well, but also because of his philanthropic endeavours which have brought succour to the lives of millions of Nigerians of all walks of life.

Atiku Abubakar had a humble beginning. He was born on November 25, 1946 in the village of Jada, in Southern Adamawa in Adamawa State of Nigeria. His father, Garba Atiku Abdulkadir of blessed memory was a nomadic trader while his mother, Aisha Kande, also of blessed memory, was a farmer. Atiku was the only child of his parents which probably explains why later in his life he became the head of a very large family with several children. His story and that of the family he founded is like that of the proverbial oak that has several branches or the mustard seed that grew to become a great tree.

Atiku Abubakar is a man of many parts. He has been many things and he is known to many people by different things. He has been a successful public servant, having been a Customs officer; he is a businessman and entrepreneur, an educationist, politician, statesman and nationalist.

Atiku Abubakar started his eventful life as a public servant. After leaving School, he enrolled in the Nigeria Customs Service whose main task is to collect tariffs, and duties on goods coming into the country and ensure that no illegal goods or contraband found its way into the country. He spent 20 solid years in the Customs and retired without blemish, having displayed diligence, efficiency, transparency, hard work and commitment all through his service years. These as much were attested to by accounts and testimonies of both his colleagues and subordinates in the service.

He went into full time business and investment on his retirement from the Customs and as he turns 69 years of age, his business interests have witnessed tremendous growth and an increase in his reputation and influence in the Nigerian business community. Atiku is innately gifted in money-making endeavours. This is a person who as a teenager worked hard to earn money that enabled him buy a mud house for his late mother!

Turaki Adamawa is an invaluable asset to the Nigerian society and there is no time when his relevance is more critical than in this era of Change when the people of Nigeria look to the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, to revamp the nation’s economy and put millions of jobless Nigerian youth and other able-bodied men and women to work.

And while in the Customs, as a middle-level and later, senior officer, he took housing loan to build modest bungalows which he put to rent to boost his personal finances to support his family. He also invested in farming and food production, a passion which has grown to yield quite an impressive number of agro-allied businesses that are contributing tremendously to generating employment for Nigerians, while boosting the agricultural sector of our nation’s economy.

Atiku Abubakar is a practical person. In his business pursuits, Atiku has put thousands of people to work and made it possible for several others to learn and acquire skills that improve their employment opportunities.

In fact, Turaki Adamawa is an invaluable asset to the Nigerian society and there is no time when his relevance is more critical than in this era of Change when the people of Nigeria look to the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, to revamp the nation’s economy and put millions of jobless Nigerian youth and other able-bodied men and women to work.

Atiku’s business exploits has changed lives and fortunes of many Nigerians irrespective of religion, ethnic nationality or political belief and affiliation. Atiku is a highly detribalised Nigerian and he ensures that every Nigerian, provided that he has the requisite skills and passion for work, benefits from his business and investment. He is a strategic thinker, humane investor who pays decent and competitive wages, and is a tireless one at that.

At the remarkable age of 69, from humble beginning, both in life and business, Atiku Abubakar has established several successful business ventures and companies that has and still provides employment for thousands of Nigerians. They are the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and its feeder Schools, the AUN Academy which caters for primary and secondary education. Adama Beverages manufactures the popular Faro range of beverage drinks and purified water. Rico Gardo is an animal feed company, the first and the only one of its kind in Northern Nigeria and the popular ABTI Press which prints high quality security documents, etc.

At 69, Atiku Abubakar has grown beyond everyone’s imagination, thanks to providence. Though the people of Adamawa State would tell anyone who cared to listen that he is their Turakin whom they are well pleased; there is no doubt that many Nigerians across the large expanse of the country’s territory would similarly claim that Atiku equally belongs to them.

The flagship of the Atiku business empire is the company INTELS which is a leading logistics service provider in the oil and gas sector of the economy. This company has been so successful and its services so much in demand that it has gone offshore to Mozambique, Angola, South Africa and Gabon. INTELS, is also a concessionaire of ports in Onne, Port Harcourt, Warri, Lagos and Calabar.

Atiku Abubakar is a media personality. He has interest in the media industry being aware of the great role the latter can play in national development and emancipation of people. His interest here is represented by GOTEL Radio and Television, based in Yola, Adamawa State.

Atiku’s love for education is all too well known. He has a voracious appetite for information and loves the company of intellectuals. He made sure all his children without exception have higher education. He has given numerous scholarships to help needy young people to have an education or to go further in their educational pursuits. His love for education and his belief in the latter as a vehicle for development and social transformation made him to found the first development-oriented University in sub-Saharan Africa, the American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola, and its feeder schools. In the 11 years of its existence, the AUN has become a success story and has grown from strength to strength, like the proverbial mustard seed, attracting students and faculty from more than 40 countries across the globe.

Atiku Abubakar is a politician, statesman and nationalist. He is also a progressive politician loved and admired across the length and breadth of Nigeria because of his many good qualities. These qualities are: humility, humaneness and honesty as well as his belief in the brotherhood of all Nigerians without discrimination. Atiku is a Nigerian to the core who believes in the unity and prosperity of all Nigerians without exception. As a politician, Atiku has experienced divine favour and support of people. He was elected Governor of Adamawa State in 1999 but providence saw him emerge as the Vice President of the Republic. Atiku was a founder and leader of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and also a leading member of the currently ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he joined when the powers that be in the PDP rejected his entreaties for a more democratic, open and inclusive political party.

At 69, Atiku Abubakar has grown beyond everyone’s imagination, thanks to providence. Though the people of Adamawa State would tell anyone who cared to listen that he is their Turakin whom they are well pleased; there is no doubt that many Nigerians across the large expanse of the country’s territory would similarly claim that Atiku equally belongs to them.

People always pray that a good thing lasts long enough for those that benefit from it to continue to do so. This is the prayer of the majority of Nigerians as Atiku Abubakar turns 69. Many HAPPY RETURNS to the Turaki Nigeria, the Nigerian icon…

This controversy about who owns Atiku more does not even fathom in the rightful and incontestable claim of his large family. It then means that Atiku, by his disposition, his relationships and accommodating personality, his love for Nigerians no matter where they come from, is a Nigerian person, a national icon, a man who belongs to all, a man of all seasons.

People always pray that a good thing lasts long enough for those that benefit from it to continue to do so. This is the prayer of the majority of Nigerians as Atiku Abubakar turns 69. Many HAPPY RETURNS to the Turaki Nigeria, the Nigerian icon; creator of wealth and employment, politician, statesman, detribalised Nigerian. May your shadow continue to loom large.

Louis Okoroma, a public affairs analyst writes from Abuja.