Ishaku: Lessons IL earnt From General Danjuma
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State spoke with Lindsay Barrett in Takum on his deep loyalty and strong links to General T.Y. Danjuma. Excerpts
When did you first get to know General Danjuma?
I first knew him when I was a child growing up in Takum. His father’s compound was just a short walk away from my father’s home where I was born. His younger brother, Musa, was in school with my elder brother and I joined them later. His father, Kuru Danjuma, was very strict and we respected him and feared him. I first knew of the General coming home on leave as a young army officer. We knew that he had been fighting in the Congo. Whenever he came we were very excited because he used to bring army issue corned beef and distribute to us. Even then, he was regarded as something of a hero for us and we looked forward to his visits. As I grew older, I followed my father and uncle who had moved to live in Kaduna to visit him at his quarters. I saw him as also a very stern person. He almost never laughed and I regarded him as a very strict friend of the family of whom I was somewhat afraid.
In what capacity did you first interact with him?
My closer and more substantial interaction with him commenced after my graduation as an architect. My father used to take me to visit him when he was serving as a senior officer commanding a unit in Kaduna before the civil war, and he always had good words to say about his army officer friend. When the military took over, he moved and the next time I remember hearing about him was when my father returned from a visit to the war front where he had gone to visit his friend. He told us that when he got to Enugu, he was told that his friend had left word at the office that he was to be brought to where he was in the battlefront. It was a very exciting adventure for him. However, it was after the war, when I graduated, that I grew closer to him. He gave me jobs to design buildings for him and I had a very important awakening when I designed a building that he felt was too elaborate. He said to me that the design was filled with too much “jigida” (i.e. ornamental beads worn by native girls). He then began to cancel the curves and decorations that I had included, and then he said to me, “A woman is beautiful no matter how much ‘jigida’ she wears and if she is ugly then no amount of ‘jigida’ can make her beautiful.” That statement sank into me and reminded me of the principles promoted by the great Mies van der Rohe, the advocate of simplicity in modern construction whose seminal statement was, “Less is more”.
Ever since then, I learnt to avoid over-decoration in what I designed for him and that led me to design buildings that were functional but still beautiful in their simplicity. One of the most important experiences I have had with General Danjuma arose when his first house in Takum began to crack and sink. We did all we could to save it but eventually he decided to demolish it and build a new one. I assumed that the builder had been negligent and had not done a soil test. I advised him to arrest the builder and have him refund all the costs, but he told me that it was his own fault because the builder had advised him to do a soil test and he had refused. I was surprised at his willingness to admit to his own blame and learnt a valuable lesson from him through this incident. My work for him helped me to grow because he was always a very sharp and vigilant client.
Did you consider him a mentor and if so, why?
Yes, I have always considered him a mentor. A mentor is someone who gives you guidance and is always ready to advise you. General doesn’t hide his feelings. He is brutally frank and he is always ready to own up to his own faults as well. I have never met another Nigerian who is so honest in his conduct and in expressing his opinions. Frankly, I have tried to learn from him but I must admit, I don’t think I could ever be as disciplined and honest as he is. He does not keep grudges, but he tells you his mind without equivocation. I have learnt a lot from him about the value of diligence, patience, and talking less and acting more. Let me give you an example with the hospital he built here. I went to him a few months after I had become Governor and told him how my Bishop had made me promise to provide improved maternity wards in the state. I told him that I had been doubtful of being able to fulfill this promise even though the Bishop who had encouraged me to make it had told me to have faith. A few weeks later, the General called me to tell me that he had some friends who would like to see me. And although I missed them at the first appointment, the next time they visited they came with a fully designed plan for a maternity hospital only needing a site on which to build it. Within the next one year, they completed the construction and we now have one of the most effectively equipped maternity hospitals in the country entirely constructed and equipped by him. This is just one example of so many incidences of how the General operates when he is convinced that there is a genuine need to be filled. This gesture by the General inspired me to put more effort into our development of another maternity centre in Wukari and after we commissioned the one in Takum I invited the General to open the one we had done in Wukari. I can tell you that when he said “Well done” to me after that it was one of the proudest moments in my life. I have had to look for the Bishop to tell him that faith has worked. General always pushes you to do the best and he has really been a mentor to me at every stage of my life.
What aspect of his life has influenced you most profoundly?
His simplicity and humility. These are the cardinal principles of his life that have impressed me most. Let me give you an example. When he retired as Chief of Army Staff, he was in Jos and I went to visit him. I was told that he went to the bank to cash a cheque. At the bank, he stood quietly in the queue awaiting his turn when someone whispered to the manager that he was there and the manager rushed out to show him special courtesy, but he refused special treatment and waited for his turn. When I got to the bank in search of him, all the people there were talking about the incident. Even today when he is travelling he avoids fuss. Most times, he will sit quietly in a corner reading. He is almost always reading. These are attributes that make him unique among our so-called big men in Nigeria. His orientation is something we of the younger generation should imbibe, especially his discipline and willingness to listen. Many people in Nigeria who have attained his standing and wealth do not have time to listen to anyone, but General is not like that. He is a very patient listener. I am still trying to learn this habit from him. He can listen to you for an hour without uttering a word. And when you have finished, if you are lucky and he is interested in the topic, you might get two or three words of encouragement from him.
Has your career reflected the lessons learnt from interaction with him?
Yes! Yes! Yes! I have already told you how as an architect I learnt restraint and functionality from him. Now as a politician what I have learnt from General is never to do anything halfway. He will make sure that whatever he embarks upon is done well. When you build a structure for him, when he inspects it, he is thorough and professional in his inspection and you will be surprised at the knowledge that he will exhibit and at the criticisms that he will make. He is so diligent and cautious in his examination of work done for him that you are forced to be extra careful when you do his work. As a politician, too, I have tried to emulate his patience and good listening habits. I have learnt from observing him that when you listen to those who talk a lot, they often answer themselves if you are patient. I have also gained from his visionary wisdom in my political career. For example, the upgrading of our airport and opening up of air transport to our state was encouraged by him. Once I made it plain that I was going to seek expanded investment in the state, it was General who said to me that unless we had access by air to our capital, this strategy would not take off. I took his advice and today with regular flights into Jalingo by Overland Airways, we are reaping the benefits of his suggestion. Now, we are planning to expand the marketing and distribution of our agricultural produce through the use of air traffic. All this has emerged from General Danjuma’s advice, and when the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, recently commended us for our efforts at developing a vibrant investment climate, I remembered how much of our success we owed to the General’s wise counsel.
How has Taraba State benefited from General Danjuma’s support?
The benefits that he has brought to his state in his long career are visible all over the state and are too many for us to list here. He has been a consistent provider for his people and his generousity and sacrifice are legendary. Recently, he singlehandedly funded the reconstruction and widening of three bridges leading into Takum. Those bridges had been problematic for decades but with his effort we have now been able to renovate the main roadway into the town and, thus, provide greatly improved access to the community. I believe the General can rightly be regarded as one of the founding fathers of the state and its most illustrious son to date and his support for young people who are ready to work hard and live their lives according to the tenets of honesty and moral probity has impacted greatly on its development.
What do you consider to be his most enduring legacy?
I think the work of the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation will provide a lasting legacy throughout the nation in health care, education and other important areas of endeavour. Typical of anything undertaken by the General, the foundation is doing extraordinary things quietly. I was involved with the Foundation when it was fighting the scourge of river blindness in Taraba and Edo states, two states that were said to have the highest number of cases in Nigeria. The disease has almost been totally eliminated in these locations through the efforts of the foundation. But this success has been achieved without fanfare.
The General does not seek publicity for his good deeds, but every day we see evidence of his commitment to help the helpless and less fortunate in society not only at home in Taraba State, but throughout the nation. He has actually spent the greater part of his life doing good works for society because he has been a philanthropist much longer than he had been a soldier.