‎Tribute: Muawiya Abba Zumo; Mourning a gentleman and a true patriot

‎
‎By Mohammed Ismail
‎
‎The news of Muawiya Abba Zumo’s death hits me with the force of a sledgehammer. It left me in a state of paralysis for days before I finally found solace in the positive comments that inundated the social and traditional media space following his demise.
‎
‎When I received an unusual call from Dr. Adamu Dodo, a brother, compatriot and a highly respected colleague very early on that fateful Saturday morning asking me with an unmistakable fluid voice and a sense of urgency whether I know what happened to Muawiya Abba Zumo, I knew through experience that something eerily bad has happened.
‎
‎The first experience I had with such a coded and eerie message was when Ibrahim AbdulAziz, also a brother and comrade in arms left this sinful world without bidding us his friends, associates and compatriots a goodbye.
‎
‎Like the death of Muawiya Abba Zumo, AbdulAziz’s death also left me in a comatose state of paranoia for days before I finally found solace in the positive commentaries about him.
‎
‎In the same manner Dr. Dodo asked me whether I knew what happened to Muawiya Abba Zumo, the person who broke the bad news of Ibrahim AbdulAziz’s death found it difficult to directly communicate the sad news to me. He instead asked rhetorically whether I knew what happened to AbdulAziz.
‎
‎Having a brush with such a nasty experience in the past, I quickly opened a community WhatsApp group I shared with Muawiya and immediately caught a message that left me gasping for breadth.
‎
‎The bold inscription of Innalillahi Wainna illayhi Rajiun did not only sank my heart but left me in an utterly, horrible state of melancholy. Despite the fact that a number of members of the group were aware of Muawiya’s sudden and unpredicted fate, no one seems courageous enough to break the sad news. I somehow garnered the strength to ask what happened to him to which no answer was provided till the time I’m penning this tribute.
‎
‎So I decided to call one of the most senior members of the group in the person of Umaru Barkindo, a retired permanent secretary in Adamawa State civil service. As in such difficult situations, Umaru Barkindo answered my call with the usual refrain when something bad and unprecedented happened. “Please bear what happened in good faith.” he had said.
‎
‎He took time to narrate how Muawiya died while on his way to Abuja to attend a function only to be sabotaged by a lurking fate.
‎
‎Muawiya is a man who lived a clean, decent and scandal free life. That is why he died a hero. Yes, only the death of a heroe will elicit the kind of anxiety the death of Muawiya wrought on the community. It instantly turn grown up men to unwilling crying babies. The tears shed over the death of this rare compatriot can form an ocean.
‎
‎Without doubt, Muawiya Abba Zumo lived a modest, eventful and impactful life. In the course of his sojourn, he has touched lives in silent but profound ways and has left indelible mark of patriotic service, philanthropy and compassion attributes that have become his reference points.
‎
‎Muawiya Abba Zumo a renowned community leader, a bridge builder, an astute communicator and the masses advocate has left a gaping vacuum that will be difficult to fill.
‎
‎A trailblazer, a reliable pillar, a dedicated personnel, a dutiful friend and a dotting father, Muawiya is a perfect embodiment of selflessness, humility, compassion, integrity, patriotism all molded into one.
‎
‎We believe that there is a reward for good deeds as Allah promised, and we pray Allah to reward Muawiya abundantly for his unimpeachable good deeds, erase his shortcomings and make Jannatul Firdaus his final resting place. Adieu, my friend, brother, dedicated community and family man.
‎
‎Ismail, the Editor-in-chief of FACTCHECKNEWS writes from Yola.