Last week was beautiful in spite of all the tumult around the world and in particular in our country. Killings within communities that should live in peace have not abated. In Kajuru castle, Kaduna state two tourists were killed. Both were aid workers, one, the lady was a Briton. In the border between Benue and Taraba states, Tivs and Jukuns have been on each other’s throat for the past couple of days. Ask them why they fight to death; it will be difficult to state. It will certainly be something that happened in a forgotten year and time. But one slight by a passerby will ignite a hateful passion. Then vengeance will set in. Guns, bullets and noise will boom.
Yet, in a typical village setting a hero was being celebrated. Oh, well, the hero was celebrating his good deeds for his people. This was at the inauguration of a water borehole. Water is essential in all parts of the world, but a very essential commodity in a desert region where it is very difficult to drill water. We are not sure how long this community has suffered until this intervention. A security man named Musa Usman exhibited the virtue of selflessness as he put smile on the faces of people in his community. Usman, whose community has been suffering from acute water shortage, rejected the offer of a house and in its place requested for the construction of a borehole for his people.
This came about after his long years of service to his master who is the managing director of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Jawa International limited, Mr. V. Verghese. After putting in 25 years, Usman called time on his job as a security officer (gateman) in order to finally spend time with his family in Giljimmi, a Fulani settlement in Jigawa state. To appreciate Usman’s long years of service and loyalty, Verghese decided to build him a house. However, the offer was turned down. Instead, the kind gateman asked his boss to build a borehole for his community because there was shortage of water in his village and people had to go a long distance in search of clean water.
There is hardly a worker who retires after 25 years that will not be overjoyed for an offer of a home from his or her employers. In fact, that is every worker’s dream. Not only did Usman reject this offer, he left Lagos where he has been living for his village to be among his people. Apparently he could have decided to stay back in Lagos and enjoy the little modernity that is available including availability of water either by public supply or personal borehole in his house. In Lagos, it doesn’t cost much to make a borehole. In Jigawa it does.
As a result of the rejection, Usman has to make do with his thatched house in his village. The man says he has no regrets for turning down the offer of a new house just so his people can have clean water to drink. After this rare selfless gesture, Musa Usman has been labeled a hero by Nigerians and he has been commended for his good deeds towards his community in Birniwa local government area of Jigawa state. We commend the Indian national and MD of Jawa for this commendable effort. This also dispels the notion out there that Indian bosses in Nigeria are mean and only driven by profit. The tale out there is that Indians in Nigeria are in the main, slave drivers who relish the opportunity they have in Nigeria but treat Nigerian workers with scorn.
Also, this simply means that loyalty and efficiency pays. There is no way Usman would have been rewarded in this manner if he was not good. He must have served diligently for him to be remembered and rewarded with a home (although he preferred something that will benefit more people). We commend his large heartedness. We also commend his love for people. His selflessness is charming and we wish all Nigerians can be little Usmans in their corner. This will engender love, kindness, communalism, and love for one and each other. Today, we are not doing well in our communities. Everyone seems to be motivated by profit and hatred. This is what has brought about so much killings in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Rivers states etc. This is also why we have kidnapping, internet fraud, ritual killings, and armed robbery on the increase.
The hatred among our people is so palpable. Yet amongst us is a certain Musa Usman, even without a formal education, he understands the significance of public good. We salute him and his former boss and commend their selflessness to other Nigerians.
