My Unforgettable Experience with Emeritus Prof. Nuhu Yaqub Omeiza -By Okike Benjamin

On the 11th of July, 2008, I made up my mind to leave the services of this university under Prof. Nuhu, an Administrator per Excellence. When I wrote my Resignation Letter to the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nuhu was outside the country and Emeritus Professor Omole was the Acting Vice Chancellor. The Acting VC then minuted my letter back to my HOD. My HOD then did same by asking me to route the letter through his office as can be seen below:

As I routed the Resignation Letter through my HOD and the Dean as instructed in the minute by the then Acting VC, my then HOD kept the letter for about one week to see if I was going to change my mind. After all attempts to persuade me to withdraw my letter, he approved it and then forwarded it to my Dean, Emeritus Professor Kakulu. My Dean kept it for about one month trying to convince me not to resign, but could not. He then forwarded the letter to Emeritus Prof. Nuhu, who then was back from his journey.

The day he got the letter, he sent out his secretary to look for me. It was not too long he moved his office to the Permanent Site, precisely the Printing Press building.  At about 8pm that day, he came out from his and was asking us at the reception the reason for wanting to see him. When he asked me, I told him that he was the one who sent for me. He asked of my name and I told him. He said my case is a special case and I should give him time to attend to all others waiting to see him. At about 9pm, he had attended to all others and asked me to come in. When I entered his office, he asked me to sit down and I did.

He started by telling me that I am free to abscond from duty, but he will never approve my Resignation Letter. After that, he asked that I should withdraw the letter the following day that he was going to ensure that my grievance would be treated to my satisfaction and called the Registrar then to do the needful, which was done.

Mind you that as at that time of the night, he had discharged all his staff except the driver. When we are done, both of us were going down the staircase. When we got down, he noticed that I was not with my car. He asked me to join him. Before then, he had given me his contact number and ask that I am free to call him anytime. When we got to the road, I expected to be dropped so that I can go back, but he asked where I was living and I told him Gwagwalada. He asked his driver that they will drop me at Gwagwalada before proceeding back to town.  When we got to Gwagwalada, he insisted that I should be taken to my house. When we got to my house and I went down, he was still in the car until my family opened the door for me to go inside before leaving.  He never allowed his personal interest override that of the university. He was never driven by religious or ethnic sentiment, showed zero tolerance for corruption and yet firm in ensuring that things are done right.

For over one week, I was just reflecting on his humility. I was just a Lecturer II and someone who was not only a professor but also a Vice Chancellor treated me as if we were equal.  Emeritus Prof. Nuhu was not the pioneer Vice Chancellor of this university, but he was the one who opened up the university. He established College of Medicine, Faculties of Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and so many departments across various faculties.  For some of us who have been here for years before he took over the university’s leadership, we all know that his name rings bell if University of Abuja is mentioned across the globe. He moved from one university to another within and outside the country to attract the best brains that made the university what it is today.  I can recollect scholars from Fayetteville State University, North Carolina, United States of America where I was a Research Fellow telling me that he was there to attract scholars. But unfortunately, those scholars left after his administration. In this our university, his name has been written with indelible ink of honor.

May God continue to protect, provide and sustain him and his family members now and always.