Adamu Ciroma: Gem of a writer is gone
Verily, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma the late Dallatun Fika was a gem of a writer and an erudite public commentator. He laid some legacies that will stand the test of time in the growth of humanity and the enhancement of the fourth estate of the realm in Nigeria. An embodiment of journalism, Alhaji Ciroma died this July, 2018 at the age of 84 with his uncommon traits that are not easily acquired and retained even when captured by today’s practicing media men and women.
We are however, the beneficiaries of our hero who traversed on the rough roads of journalism to the positions of Editor and Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspapers, Kaduna, established in 1963. His sojourn in journalism practice begun at a very critical stage of the newly independent Nigeria (1960) has enlivened the focus of the profession which centered globally on nothing but the truth. He curved a niche for himself in this particular area as the “pen-boat” he paddled did not tumbled and capsize along the “inky-path”. Tyros like me and the older practicing comrades have the liberty to emulate the guru in this most exacting of professions the world over and disallow the essence of journalism to eclipse.
Books as presented today, have universally surveyed the fields of journalism with the continued advancement of technology. They pointed the way a beginner should follow and merrily smooth certain hiccups and obstacles. As generally highlighted in the press, Alhaji Ciroma has transformed his theories with practice through his courageous write ups and commentaries on matters that boarder on the intelligence of the moments capturing the interest of the general publics in the country.
I never had a pre-monition to come face to face with this legend but read about him as the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, during my secondary schooling era in the seventieths. Our state registered moralist, the Dallatun Fika, was the chairman of the panel that recruited me from the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Sokoto in to the pioneer staffers of the now rested Democrat Newspapers, Kaduna, in the year 1987.
The interview was my maiden course programme with the late Minister of Agriculture which extended to an induction course arranged by the New Africa Holdings, Ltd., Publishers of the Democrat at Ahmed Talib Avenue, Kakuri, Kaduna South. He presided over one of the sessions and his composure, eloquence and simplicity of language that accompanied the narratives arrested the attention of both editorial, technical and managerial staffs of the company. It was an impromptu address that energized the whole staffs and gingered all to action just akin to the motivational speech as delivered to the commoners in the book Julius Caesar by Mark Anthony.
He admonished us to have the strengths of mind, a faith in ourselves through courage, patience and determination to record and report what we observed as genuine for the interest of the general publics. The former M.D expressed the necessity for every Reporter, Subs and News Editors to treat each news item and feature articles with healthy cynicism. You are there as an individual but the larger heterogeneous components of the society see you as their representative at each occasion. That trust is shared with the company you are working for as their integrity and image status cannot be compromise. Any reporter he said that hurled the editor before the court of law should consider himself/herself a writeroff. The octogenarian said he was called upon to chip-in the initial take-off of the Newspaper though his name was in scripted among the main Directors of the company.
This sincerity of purpose is believed to be the hall-mark of late Adamu Ciroma by both the lower and higher personnel in the multiple ministries and several corporate organizations he held and worked as an astute administrator, technocrat and journalist-cumpoliticians across the country. Many of us now living felt sad by his demise, would compose in our minds, the ever photographic view of Alhaji Adamu Ciroma. The elder statesman stood before us for an address that metamorphosed to a befitting lecture that depicted our past lessons at the various schools of journalism and mass communication we attended. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace - Amin!
Kende wrote this piece from Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.